


The Mystery of the Dragon

by jadeswallow



Category: Arashi (Band), Johnny's Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Gen, M/M, Multi, Mystery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-25
Updated: 2015-06-25
Packaged: 2018-04-06 02:08:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 41,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4203912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadeswallow/pseuds/jadeswallow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ikuta’s life started spiraling out of control after he met a stranger on a certain cloudy day. Soon, he realized that the legends were more than bedtime stories and he was a part of it, carrying the important task that would determine the fate of everyone who was involved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ltgmars](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ltgmars/gifts).



> \- Written for ltgmars for jerainbowbridge’s fic exchange. Originally posted [HERE](http://swallowords.livejournal.com/3210.html)  
> \- All of the characters will be called with their family names for a reason that will be explained halfway through the story.  
> \- I decided to keep Ohkura’s name as it is, but his character here is heavily based on his role in Ooku as Tsuruoka because I can’t resist pretty Ohkura with long hair.

 

**I**

  
Ikuta still clearly remembered how his journey had started. It was an experience impossible to forget. Yes, how could he forget the night when his life completely changed?  
  
It all began on a cloudy day in autumn when he met a weird stranger at the corner of his part time office building. The man was wearing a light-brown coat twice his size and a weird-looking pointed hat. While Ikuta considered his appearance to be unusual, he tipped his hat politely and continued walking, determined to get some money from the serious article about weird malformations in nature he had written.  
  
Nevertheless, a few steps later, he suddenly had an urge to look back, and to his surprise, the man was still there, staring back curiously at him. The wind blew towards him, and Ikuta shuddered. His feeling told him that there was something off, but Ikuta tried to brush away his prejudice. He smiled nervously and tipped his hat once more, quickly climbing up the stairs to run from the awkwardness.  
  
At the middle of climbing, he suddenly stopped to peer down the street from the window, but the man was nowhere to be seen. Ikuta breathed out a sigh of relief, but somewhere in his heart, he felt there was something familiar missing, and he couldn’t help feeling disappointed.  
  
The rest of the day went on peacefully, and he had half forgotten about the man before meeting him again at his favorite coffee shop down the street. Ikuta was sitting at his usual seat beside the window, on an ordinary starless night, sipping his coffee and having a little chat with the two owners, Morita and Miyake. The small coffee shop always gave him a warm familiar feeling, and Ikuta could sit there for hours, typing his article. As usual, despite the delicious coffee they served, the shop was quiet. Miyake often joked that Ikuta was one of few people who could appreciate how magical their coffee was.  
  
Ikuta yawned and stretched his body, checking the time with the corner of his eyes. 11.00 PM. He didn’t have a deadline tomorrow, so he decided to stay longer. He glanced around, noticing that he was the only client left and was about to order another cup of coffee when all of a sudden, the door opened and the stranger showed up. The man caught sight of Ikuta and swiftly pulled out the chair in front of him, sitting on it. Ikuta blinked, surprised at the action.  
  
He was about to make a comment about the impoliteness, but the stranger narrowed his small eyes first, crossing his hands on the table, and said in a serious tone, “I know your grandmother.”  
  
Ikuta put his cup down and glanced at Morita and Miyake – both look stunned – before paying his attention back to the stranger. “I’m sorry?”  
  
No one was supposed to know who his grandmother was. Ikuta grew up without one; his mother was left in an orphanage while his other grandmother died when his father was young. His father died several years ago from a car accident, and Ikuta lived alone from that day onwards.  
  
“Well, you have her nose,” the man leaned back casually, examining Ikuta’s face and spreading his hands in front of him, posing a frame to capture Ikuta’s face, “and considering your age and the amount of glitter you have in you, I assume it’s your grandmother, is it not?”  
  
Ikuta thought he had heard it wrong. He asked just to make sure. “Glitter?”  
  
The man was nodding vigorously when Miyake surprised him from behind and smacked his head. “Oi, oi, Inocchi, don’t scare my loyal client away!”  
  
The man, Inocchi, grinned widely at Miyake and offered Ikuta his hand, unexpectedly breaking up the tense situation. “Inohara. Private investigator.” He took out a card. “But, you can call me Inocchi.”  
  
Ikuta, still surprised at how fast the atmosphere had changed, accepted his hand. Inocchi shook it excitedly. “Ikuta.”  
  
“Nice to meet you!” Inocchi gave Ikuta the biggest smile he had ever seen on someone’s face.  
  
While Inocchi turned to Morita to order his coffee, Ikuta took the chance to inspect the card.  
  
He flipped it around. It was black, with Inocchi’s name written on it in blue glitter. Below it was a tagline:  _We’ll find anything your heart desires. Anything._ Ikuta looked at it more carefully, and it seemed that the pointed hat picture beside Inocchi’s name suddenly had a face on it. A face with an eye that winked at him. Ikuta closed his eyes, and the face vanished when he opened it again. He put the card down, deciding what he had seen must have been an effect of drowsiness.  
  
Miyake pulled out a chair. “Ikuta, this is our old friend, Inocchi. He often says random weird things, don’t mind him.”  
  
Inocchi pouted, pretending to look broken-hearted. “That’s so unfair, I say every word with a purpose in mind.”  
  
Miyake turned to him, raising his eyebrow. “Really?”  
  
Inocchi pretended to glare back, tapping his chest. “Really.” He raised his left hand up dramatically, swearing. “I don’t lie about glitter. Have you seen him properly?” Inocchi pointed at Ikuta with his other hand, almost sticking his finger into Ikuta’s eye. “He’s sparkling! I accuse you for hiding this gem away from me!”  
  
Morita put Inocchi’s cup on their table, joining their conversation. “You know we can’t see the glitter like you do.”  
  
Ikuta shoved the hand away, looking at the three men in turn. “Is this some kind of joke?”  
  
Inocchi shook his head solemnly. “No, no.” He opened his hat, and Ikuta almost yelled. Inocchi had a pair of long, pointed ears.  
  
Inocchi raised his head up, ignoring the surprised look on Ikuta’s face, and went on to grabbing Ikuta’s hands instead. Ikuta was speechless; he tried to get his hands free, but the man was surprisingly stronger than he looked like. “Fairies do sparkles.” Inocchi stated matter-of-factly.  
  
Ikuta took a glance at the clock, trying to find a reason to excuse himself. Morita and Miyake’s friend or not, this man was obviously crazy. Or, to his fright, perhaps they were also participating in a joke and at the end, they would open crackers at his face and shout ‘Surprise!’ because they remembered his birthday wrong. “Oops,” he pretended to tidy up his things. “I guess I have to go, I have an appointment...”  
  
Inocchi didn’t budge. He strengthened his grip instead, looking at Ikuta straight in the eyes. “Have you ever had any weird experiences before?”  
  
“W-what?”  
  
“Has it ever stopped raining outside when you wanted it too? Have you ever dreamt of dancing below the moon? Have you ever woken up, realizing that your tasks were already finished while you were sleeping? Have you ever seen magical, unexplainable things that other people didn’t see?”  
  
Ikuta’s mouth gaped open. “H-how…”  
  
Miyake grabbed his shoulders, shouting excitedly, “So, they did happen?!”  
  
Morita hurriedly came over to him and pushed Miyake away, shaking Ikuta’s body. “Why have you never told us about this before?!”  
  
Ikuta tried to calm down both of his friends when Inocchi approached him, smiling from ear to ear. “Congratulations, Ikuta, you’re a descendent of fairies!”  
  
Ikuta widened his eyes. This day could not get any weirder. “I’m a what?”  
  
“A descendant of fairies.”  
  
  
  


 

**II**

  
After that announcement, Inocchi had brought him back to his seat, excitedly explaining to him about magical beings and how he also had goblin blood in him, thus the pointed ears. He touched his ear shyly and smiled proudly. Ikuta failed to see what was so great about it.  
  
Ikuta had refused to believe him at first and kept waiting for the announcement that it was a joke. But then Inocchi sang something in a language that he had never heard before and Ikuta’s skin glittered, lighting up the small coffee shop. Morita and Miyake screamed in delight and turned off the lamp for a more drastic effect. They brought out candles and lit them up, making the whole situation more frightening in Ikuta’s eyes. He tried to wipe the glitter, but it wouldn’t come off. Fairy’s natural dust, Inocchi told Ikuta. It was supposed to bring out the magic in him.  
  
Inocchi muttered more words, and two tiny beings popped up on the table out of nowhere.  
  
Ikuta let out a scream as Inocchi poked the two tiny beings softly. The creatures bowed courtly, introducing themselves as Maru and Yasu, the elves who had been following him all along and helped him finishing his tasks.  
  
Maru was dressed in all orange, complete with what appeared to be an orange helmet with wings and a pair of matching goggles, while Yasu was dressed in all blue. Maru pretended to pout a bit due to Ikuta’s yelp upon their appearance, but both of them started jumping up and down soon, happy because Ikuta could finally see them. It appeared that helping fairies earned them more points to be later exchanged with sparkly candy.  
  
Ikuta could not suppress his shock upon touching them and realizing that they were real. In general, he just sat there with his mouth open, unable to comprehend everything that had happened.  
  
Miyake and Morita kept congratulating him, shaking his hand and patting his shoulders as they revealed that they were actually shape-shifters. Miyake changed into a cat, and Morita the dog ran wild to the kitchen and came out with four glasses of some bubbling green substance, claiming it was the most magical beer magical creatures ever created. They had a toast to celebrate how Ikuta had become a part of their world; even Maru and Yasu were given a spoonful of the beer each before they ran tipsy. Maru grinned goofily, biting Ikuta’s hand while Yasu danced in delight, drunk. Before the night ended, Inocchi offered him a job in his private investigator office, and Ikuta, out of confusion and being really intoxicated, accepted it.  
  
Yes, Ikuta’s life changed in just a night, but it was nothing considering what would happen to him next.  
  
  
  


 

**III**

  
Inocchi forgot nothing even though he was drunk. The next day, he appeared in front of Ikuta’s door, ready to drag him to his new office.  
  
To Ikuta’s surprise, Innochi’s workplace surprisingly stood between his apartment and the coffee shop. In fact, Ikuta passed it almost every day on his way to his newspaper’s part-time office. He never paid attention to it, though, and it’s no wonder considering how grim the façade was. The paint was fading away, the roof was falling apart, the windows were covered in dust, and the door shrieked alarmingly when it was opened.  
  
Ikuta always assumed that it was an empty building, because there was nothing on the outside to attract a passer-by’s attention; there was not even a sign up to show that it was an office. To sum it up, he could only think of one word: forgettable.  
  
On his first day, Ikuta asked why they didn’t put up a sign, and his new boss merely answered with a mysterious smile, saying that their clients already knew where to go and that the building served them better than it looked like.  
  
Fortunately, the interior of the office was not as gloomy as its façade. When he opened the door, Ikuta found a large circular room with the floor and wall covered in wood parquet, the floor brown and the wall blue. Fire crackled, warming up the room from the fireplace in the back between four antique working tables, two each on its left and right. A large window invisible from outside allowed him to freely watch people passing by, while tons of small light bulbs floated in the air, brightening up the room with a magical atmosphere that persuaded Ikuta to stay.  
  
It had been a month since the weird night happened, and there was not a single day that passed without Ikuta questioning himself of why he accepted the job. True, Inocchi looked very convincing with his pointed ears, but Ikuta was a complete amateur in regards of magic. He was still doubtful that he had fairy blood in him at all. He was not even sure that magic existed, not even with Maru and Yasu beside him, following him around, offering unnecessary comments about the way he lived until he begged them to leave. Not that it mattered, since they would only vanish for a while before popping up again the next day, giggling, asking him for milk and biscuits.  
  
On the other hand, no matter how unsure he was about the new job, Ikuta still diligently went to the office every day. If he had to be honest, it was more out of curiosity rather than responsibility, since he couldn’t help but be truly fascinated with the world he had just discovered. Who knew that he had lived side by side with the magical world his whole life without even noticing it? Now that Inocchi had lightened up his glitter, he could sense magical vibe everywhere, seeing things for what they actually were.  
  
After working for Inocchi for a while, Ikuta was informed that he was not the first person Inocchi had recruited randomly. Apparently, Inocchi had a hobby of gathering those like him with magical blood but little awareness of their capability. To train them, or so he said, but he rarely stayed at the office. As a result, Ikuta was often left with two other staff, Aiba and Yoko.  
  
Aiba, the first one who greeted him, was the cheerful warlock with a warm smile, light perm, brown hair, and eyes with different colors: violet and golden. Aiba talked with a nasally childish voice, and Ikuta immediately got close to him. It was hard not to like Aiba, even plants liked him, and he could communicate with them in one way or another. There was a special corner at the office dedicated for Aiba’s scientific experiments that included ‘magical liquids’, vegetation, and strangely enough, mapo tofu. Ikuta noticed that it was a far more admirable talent than sparkling and being able to see elves following them around. If Aiba’s talent really worked of course – which rarely happened –something that Ikuta’s other co-workers never fail to remind Aiba.  
  
Yoko was the loud and odd one, having the human appearance of a tall man with thick full lips, pale skin, and short jet black hair. He bombarded Ikuta with his stories, whispering secrets and asking random questions, throwing stupid comments, voicing out complaints, and accusing Ikuta of things he didn’t do that turn into an endless debate and end up with Ikuta giggling. When Yoko was not in the mood to talk, he would pout and retreat back to his lamp. Having a panther shape-shifter as a mother and a father who was a  _jinn_  turned Yoko into half panther-half  _jinn_ , his true appearance including a panther’s head with a  _jinn_ ‘s tail. Yoko hated it, but he bragged that he was luckier than his two younger brothers in terms of appearance. Ikuta didn’t dare to ask what they looked like.  
  
He passed the month quietly as both Aiba and Yoko supplied him with magical world information. They were even nice to Maru and Yasu, providing them candy and allowing them to participate in the office’s affairs. Aiba asked his permission to include the elves in his experiment, but the idea was quickly forgotten after Yoko smacked Aiba’s head, scolding him.  
  
So far, Ikuta couldn’t ask for better co-workers. With no actual work assigned to them, Aiba busied himself with his experiments, Yoko with his bongo practice, and Ikuta with his deadlines. Sometimes, they would discuss the natural malformations that happened too often in recent years all across the world. Ikuta had hoped that the magical world would have an answer for how plants were mysteriously drying up, or how earthquakes occurred without giving any sign, or how plants failed to produce fruits and flowers, or how the color of leaves sometimes changed from green to purplish, or how rain became continually rarer. He was disappointed, because the magical world seemed as clueless as they were of how to fix the situation. Aiba would always smile sadly, informing them that the plants that had talked to him were also afraid of what was happening to them.  
  
On other days, when they were not in the mood for serious conversation, they gathered around the fireplace to play cards, such as on that night when a new client - the first one he saw during the whole month - came knocking at their door.  
  
It was late, and Inocchi was not there as usual, but they couldn’t go home due to the storm raging furiously outside. Yoko was the one who took out the cards, proposing a poker game.  
  
Ikuta took a peek at the street outside. He had never seen a storm so strong before. One moment the sky was clear, the next second the cloud appeared, and it started raining heavily. The first rain in a month. Wind and water alike slapped the window angrily while lightning flashed threateningly in the sky, and people below ran in panic.  
  
Their concentrations were fully focused on the game, and Ikuta was about to win when they heard a knock. The three of them quickly turned their head. The door opened and a stranger’s face showed up, asking them if they were open. Yoko hurriedly ushered the person inside while Aiba prepared a cup of hot tea.  
  
The client stepped inside calmly, and Ikuta tried to silence his gasp when he noticed that the client was completely dry. He failed.  
  
The stranger was skinny and pale with a boyish look that made it hard to guess how old he was. A playful smile curled in his lips as he sat on the chair Yoko brought for him, crossing his legs and sipping his tea. Ikuta shuddered. First, because of the fact that the storm outside apparently had not been able to touch him, and second, because of his eye.  
  
The place where his right eye was supposed to be was covered with a black eye patch, and the stranger stared back at Ikuta with his left brown eye that glistened golden. It was the eye that assured Ikuta that the stranger was older than he looked like, for it was an eye that showed grief and wisdom and determination beyond his appearance.  
  
Ikuta quickly tried to look somewhere else, avoiding the eye before getting too lost in it. It was the first time Ikuta could sense it: a magical vibe so strong it made him feel like he was having a headache. The stranger seemed to let out his power on purpose. He knew they could sense it, and he merely smirked, adding the perplexed feeling Ikuta and his co-workers experienced at that moment.  
  
“Sir,” Yoko was the first one who was able to catch his breath back. “How can we help you?”  
  
The stranger smiled lazily. “Perhaps you could start by telling the pretty boy to stop looking at me.”  
  
Ikuta hastily diverted his gaze away, ashamed. “I’m sorry, sir, I’m new in this world.”  
  
The stranger nodded. “It’s okay, boy. Even if you’re an expert, you wouldn’t find anyone as fascinating as me.” He turned his head a little to the right. “You see, I’m one of a kind.”  
  
Ikuta looked around, becoming aware that Aiba and Yoko looked as stunned as he was. Aiba quickly covered the awkwardness with a question. “I’m sorry, sir, how should we call you?”  
  
The stranger put his cup down. “It’s Nino. Call me Nino.”  
  
Yoko coughed. “Well, Mr. Nino, how can we help you, sir?”  
  
The stranger, Nino, squinted his eye and pointed out at the deck of cards on Yoko’s table. “Are those cards?”  
  
“Well, yes.” Puzzled, Yoko offered the cards. Nino took them and shuffled them with skillful hands. “I want you to search for someone.”  
  
Yoko grabbed a pen and prepared to write down the information. “Okay, sir, who is it that we need to find? Why do you need to find that person? You see, we would prefer not to deal with illegal things.”  
  
Nino stopped shuffling. His eye twinkled mischievously. “You don’t need to worry about that.”  
  
Aiba nudged Ikuta and they loomed closer, curious to hear the answer.  
  
“The one that I want you to find,” their client leaned his body forward and spread the cards on the table upside down, “is the sleeping dragon.”  
  
There was a pause. Yoko looked taken aback, and Aiba gasped. They both looked at each other before Yoko scratched his nose, suddenly looking more serious than before.  
  
Nino didn’t seem affected by their reactions. He grazed the cards lovingly and picked out one, turning its face. “He was someone dear to me. That’s all you need to know.”  
  
Ikuta stuck his neck out, trying to see what the card was.  
  
It was a Joker.  
  
Their client sighed happily at the sight and stood up slowly, walking towards the door. He told them, “Find him, and you’ll be well-rewarded.”  
  
Aiba squeaked, trying to stop him. “But, if we had found him, how could we tell you?”  
  
Opening the door, Nino let water splash inside, wetting the floor. Ikuta winced, noticing that the water seemed to avoid their client. No, the water was repelled before touching his body.  
  
Nino turned back before disappearing into the storm, his eye sparkled golden. “I will know.”  
  
  
  


 

**IV**

  
After he left, the three of them looked at each other for a few minutes, trying to digest what had just happened. At first, Ikuta thought that he was the only one who was left awestruck, but seeing his co-workers’ expressions made him realize that it was not something that happened often, even in the magical realm. They stood quietly for a few minutes until Yoko coughed, trying to find his voice back. “So...”  
  
Aiba eyed him. “....Do we take the task?”  
  
Yoko’s mouth was gaped open. He glared at both of them with a surprised look. “Do we have a choice?” He started blabbering, pointing his finger at the door. “Did you see him? Did you actually see him? I have never seen anyone with such a powerful aura before!”  
  
Ikuta breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he was not the only one who was threatened by their client’s presence.  
  
“Do we take the task?” Yoko continued, hands moving around aimlessly. “My question is, could we turn it down? What if he attacks us if we decided not to take the task?”  
  
Ikuta and Aiba widened their eyes; they had not considered that possibility. Yoko was right, Ikuta thought, their client didn’t give them a chance to accept or refuse his request. He simply stated his business and left, and from the looks of it, he would not accept no for an answer, nor failure. Ikuta silently wondered what Nino would do if they failed him. He seemed to be capable of doing them harm.  
  
Yoko sat down, rubbing his hair, fingers playing with the cards. “What should we do, now? Inocchi, where are you when we need you?” He threw the cards at their boss’s table, looking frustrated.  
  
“So,” Ikuta sat on the table, trying to look calm. “We have never received a case like this before?”  
  
“Well,” Yoko shrugged. “We did have some pretty weird cases. Looking for a lost granddaughter, searching for lost magical artifacts, driving ghouls away from haunted houses, helping fairies and gnomes with their businesses. We even came between goblins’ fights before,” he explained. “We have been assigned to search people up several times, but clearly dragon is on a different level!”  
  
“What’s so different about a dragon?” Ikuta asked.  
  
Yoko stopped rubbing his hair, staring at him in disbelief.  
  
Ikuta merely shrugged. “I’m a newbie, remember? A month ago, I would never have imagined a creature that is half panther and half  _jinn_  even existed.”  
  
Yoko pouted, mumbling something about how it was not his fault that his parent decided to marry.  
  
“Well,” Aiba told him, “the problem with dragon is, it’s extinct.”  
  
“Or perhaps it never existed in the first place!” Yoko cut in furiously. “Perhaps people just saw a chimera or a griffin and imagined a creature greater than it actually looked!”  
  
“Wait, wait,” Ikuta asked, “Chimeras and griffins exist but not dragons?”  
  
“No, Ikuta, it’s not dragons, but dragon. There is only one dragon. The sleeping dragon.” Yoko shook his head. “Common people love imagining how there were many dragons in the ancient times before knights had slain them all, but they also think that vampires are capable of romance, and shape-shifters are miserable beings who were forced to turn into wolves every full moon.”  
  
“I met a vampire once!” Aiba claimed. “Tiny vampires, they’re about one meter tall, and they bite a lot!” He wrinkled his nose. “They look like gargoyles.”  
  
“The point is,” Yoko quickly added, “there is only one dragon ever created. Legend said it was a giant creature the size of an island, radiating overflowing energy. It was described as something so enormous and so powerful you could not see him directly, just like the sun.”  
  
“Wait, I’ll get the book!”  
  
Aiba ran to their storeroom and came back with several thick books. He dumped them all on the floor, opening one and gesturing them to kneel down beside him, reading the information eagerly, summing it up for them. “According to the legend, a long time ago, the creator planned on destroying earth and all its being. Therefore, earth united all its energy to prevent the demolition, creating a dragon to fight against the creator. The creator and the dragon fought for years until the creator decided that it would withdraw the attack, and left earth the way it was. The dragon later served as earth’s vice to help protect the realm and to rule in the creator’s place, arranging nature and overseeing the needs of creatures walking on it.”  
  
Ikuta sat down, trying to absorb all the information. “Wait, this is a completely different legend than what I have heard about dragons!”  
  
“Dragon, Ikuta. Not dragons.” Yoko smacked his head. “We are very protective about our version of the dragon. It was a story not often told and even among us magical creatures, there are some who still don’t know the true legend up until now.”  
  
“However,” Aiba continued, “creatures on earth grew rapidly and the dragon realized that it was no longer needed. Therefore, it asked earth’s permission to retreat back from the world’s affairs, and earth consented. The dragon traveled to the heart of the earth and went to sleep, waiting for the time when it was needed again.”  
  
“See? He was not needed anymore; therefore it sleeps for good. That’s why we call it the sleeping dragon.”  
  
“If it’s so, why does our client want us to find him?” Ikuta asked.  
  
“Don’t ask me!” Yoko shouted his reply back, half furious and half frustrated.  
  
“He said that the dragon was someone dear to him. Someone. And that it’s a ‘he’. Find him, and you’ll be well rewarded, he said,” Aiba told them.  
  
“Aiba, please don’t make this more complicated than it already is!” Yoko growled.  
  
“Wait, Yoko, think about it!” Aiba said. “This could be a blessing in disguise. Don’t you always say that you want an adventure?”  
  
“Aiba,” Yoko frowned. “Listen, I hate to break this to you, but we’re about to search for something that people haven’t seen for a thousand years. Open your ears.” He scooted closer, making a circle with his thumb and index finger. “Our successful rate is about zero.”  
  
Aiba was unmoved. “It adds to the excitement, doesn’t it?”  
  
Yoko stood beside the fireplace, both hands in his pocket. He put his head down, shaking it repeatedly. “No, no, no. I don’t like where this is going. I don’t like the optimism in your eyes.”  
  
Aiba came towards Yoko, laying both of his hands on his co-worker’s shoulders. “Our own adventure, Yoko, just like what we always talk about! Aiba, Yoko, and Ikuta,” he nodded in Ikuta’s direction, “in a journey to seek the sleeping dragon.”  
  
Yoko made a tsking sound. Ikuta could see that he was slowly yielding. It was hard to say no to Aiba, after all. It was even harder to say no to excited Aiba. “Do we really, really, really have to?”  
  
“Well, you’re the one who pointed to us that our client may not like it if we fail him. At least, we could tell him that we tried.” Ikuta joined Aiba in persuading Yoko. Yoko started to give in, and Ikuta wanted to know more about the legend of the sleeping dragon. Besides, they had nothing to lose, didn’t they?  
  
Aiba gave him a thumbs-up, and as if he knew exactly what was going on in Ikuta’s mind, he continued, “Yes, Yoko. There’s nothing to lose with trying.”  
  
Yoko sighed, raising both of his hands dramatically. “Okay, okay. I understand. Now, what’s our first step?”  
  
“Yay!” Aiba cheered, pulling Yoko into a tight hug. He thought for a moment or two before adding, “I think we should start with a visit to Tokio.”  
  
  
  


 

**V**

  
Several hours later, Ikuta found himself deep within the woods in a forest he never knew existed.  
  
After hearing Aiba’s advice, Yoko’s face immediately brightened up. He grabbed Innochi’s keys, ushered them all inside the old car, and driving at full speed, carelessly rotated the steering wheel like a maniac while Aiba at his side kept shouting  _left, right, left, right, turn here, no, no, the next turn, and wait we missed it, we must turn back!_  Yoko took the wrong turn several times, used the chance to scold Aiba back, turning around, and took the wrong turn again, groaning at his own mistakes.  
  
Ikuta sat in the backseat with eyes glued to the window, disbelieving the view he was seeing outside. The longer they travel, the weirder the town seemed to be. The lights gradually dimmed, the buildings grew taller, the architecture became more ancient, the sky turned purplish. People on the streets suddenly had tails and horns and pointed ears and fangs. The easiest way to say what was happening is that for each correct turn Yoko made, the town reshaped itself.  
  
The transformation happened faster and faster while Yoko drove the car at an insane speed. Head spinning, Ikuta leaned back, finally giving up on following the route they were going. He put his seat belt on and gripped it as tight as he could, treating it as his lifeline. He felt grateful that the street was quite empty, but on second thought, was it really? Ikuta was not sure he wanted to know the answer, not after everything he had discovered this past month. He closed his eyes, fighting the urge to vomit as Yoko took another violent turn.  
  
Aiba turned his head, grinning. “The spell is being lifted.”  
  
“Who are we going to see now?” Ikuta asked, taking a peek.  
  
“Tokio? They’re the best informants in the realm. They hear everything, they don’t forget anything, and they are willing to share as long as you follow their rules.”  
  
Ikuta raised his eyebrow, curious. “What rules?”  
  
Aiba giggled and turned to face the street. “You’ll see.”  
  
“Well, it’s not like I can go back now,” Ikuta mumbled, but Aiba didn’t hear him, because Yoko took the chance to steer the car violently to the left. Ikuta closed his eyes again, unable to wait to get out.  
  
As Yoko took several more turns, the building started to grow roots and branches, reshaping themselves into trees. More shouting and correct turns – all were done without slowing down – and the trees were growing even taller, standing closer and closer to each other.  
  
Just when Ikuta felt he couldn’t stand it anymore, the car slowed down. He snapped his eyes open. Yoko poked him. “We’re here.”  
  
Ikuta got out, shivering. His eyes carefully wandered to the forest they were standing at. The town was nowhere to be seen. Grasses danced against his knees, wind sang in his ears, and the purple moon ray escaped through the trees, adding the mysterious atmosphere. Looking above, Ikuta realized that they had stopped below the tallest tree in the forest, so high Ikuta couldn’t see the tip anymore. Ikuta gulped, silently wondering if the forest was magically enchanted or if magical plants indeed grew faster. Either way, the view looked fascinating.  
  
Behind him, Aiba yelled triumphantly as he found three small tubes the size of a finger in his bag. He handed one to each of them, and Ikuta shook his, observing the purple-greenish liquid under the moonlight with high suspicion.  
  
Yoko opened his tube’s cap. “We need to drink this to enter.”  
  
Aiba followed, and they both turned their heads at Ikuta, waiting for him to imitate their actions.  
  
Ikuta shrugged. He opened his tube’s cap. “Well, I don’t even know what Tokio is, but I guess I have to drink to find out.”  
  
Yoko raised his tube, gesturing for a toast. “For the sleeping dragon.”  
  
Aiba and Ikuta echoed. “For the sleeping dragon.”  
  
Together, they poured the liquid down their throats.  
  
Ikuta swallowed his. It was more drinkable than he thought it would be, tasted like a mix of ink and vegetable juice somehow – not that Ikuta ever had that before. He threw the tube away as he dropped to his knees, starting to feel dizzy again.  
  
Surprised, Ikuta looked at his hands. His skin was bubbling as if there was something boiling inside. He lifted his head up, watching in amazement as the grass grew taller and taller around him. Spinning his head around, he caught sight of his co-workers and apprehended something. The grass was not growing taller; it was them who grew smaller.  
  
Aiba winked at him, waving as his body shrunk. Ikuta replied to the smile dryly and closed his eyes, feeling as though his body was squeezed and spun inside a washing machine. A washing machine with very hot water spray. This was a weird night indeed.  
  
The shrinking process took several more seconds, and when it was done, Ikuta found himself lying on the ground, gasping for air. The wind blew towards him and he could feel his body again. He stood up slowly, stretching his arms and legs, trying to get the numbness away. Finally paying attention to his surroundings, he let out a gasp when he realized that they were only a little bit taller than grass around them.  
  
Mesmerized, Ikuta approached a leaf of grass. He grazed its face slowly, realizing that the grass was richer in color than he had expected. It was a little bit orange on its edge, red at its base, and blue on the tip. Ikuta took a step back. It was pretty.  
  
Next to him, Aiba embraced the grass, inhaling the sweet smell. “I love being this close to earth.”  
  
“I always thought grass was green,” Ikuta said. “Just green.”  
  
“All leaves are more than just green,” Aiba stated. “People always fail to see it, because they don’t want to see. They are amazing, aren’t they?” He rubbed the grass lovingly, but suddenly his face turned sad, and he dropped his smile. “But they are dying. Nature is dying.”  
  
“Enough about grass,” Yoko reminded them sharply. “Don’t forget what we are here for.” He pointed at the root, and it was only then Ikuta noticed that there was light coming from the hollow space below the giant tree. Ikuta took a step further, paying more attention as he heard other sounds besides grass stroking against each other. People yelling, loud cursing, sound of music thumping, fire crackling, and high-pitched laughing. He turned back, brows furrowed, as he was about to ask his co-workers if his ears were correct.  
  
Yoko laughed at his expression. He and Aiba approached him from the left and right, both patting Ikuta’s back cheerfully. “Welcome to Tokio!” The two of them grinned widely as they started walking to the tree, arms spreading wide. “The most well-known pub in the magical realm!”  
  
Bewildered, Ikuta followed them, stepping towards where the sounds came from. Once inside, he immediately took a glance around, afraid of what would appear once he placed his foot inside.  
  
  
  


 

**VI**

  
Ikuta had been to pubs before, and thankfully they were not that different from this magical one aside from its clientele and its ‘earthly’ interior. The space was large, with soil as its floor and wooden chair and tables spread around the periphery. Leaves and red berries dangled from tiny branches, replacing the function of ceiling. Right in the middle, a huge bonfire was set up with hundreds of magical creatures screaming and dancing around it, socializing with their friends.  
  
At his right, a pack of shape-shifters were trying to flirt with women inside a large pool. Looking more carefully, Ikuta could see the women flicking their fish tails whenever a shape-shifter tried to impress them. At the center back of the room, a female  _jinn_  floated from her lamp, singing a song on stage. At his left, a bunch of ugly-looking monsters with bat wings were drinking red liquid from tall glasses.  
  
Aiba whispered into Ikuta’s ear, “Vampires. Don’t get too close, or they’ll bite.”  
  
“Inocchi’s boys!” A man yelled, greeting them from across the room. Ikuta turned his head. Naked apart from his underwear and polka dot tie, the man shouted cheerfully, quickly running towards them and pulling them all into a hug. “We haven’t seen you for a while!” He observed their surroundings and pouted in disappointment. “Where’s your daddy?”  
  
Aiba giggled. “Too bad we’re by our own today.” He pointed at Ikuta. “We have a new staff member now.”  
  
“Ikuta, this is one of Tokio’s owners, Nagase,” Yoko introduced them.  
  
“New boy!” Nagase screamed his heart out, pulling him into another bone-breaking hug. As Ikuta tried to struggle free, Nagase raised him up as if he was just a kid. Ikuta let out a shout, but Nagase didn’t seem to hear it. He continued grinning, carrying Ikuta to the corner of the pub. Ikuta looked down, trying to ask for help, but Yoko just snickered, shaking his head in pity.  
  
“Hey, Matsuoka,” Nagase called, “Inocchi found a new boy!”  
  
Matsuoka, the man behind the bar, lowered his sunglasses. “Fairish boy?” He only wore a boxer and nothing else – save for his sunglasses.  
  
Nagase beamed and brought Ikuta to the bar, dumping him into one of the chairs. Matsuoka worked fast, serving him with a bubbling white drink. Pulling a tiny tube out of his drawer, he opened the cap and poured glitter into the glass. “A sparkling drink for the fairy boy. Special gnome’s treat for first-time customer.”  
  
Ikuta took a sip. The drink burnt his throat, sending a chill down his spine. The second sip went straight to his head. “Gnome?” he asked.  
  
“Well, yes.” Another man appeared from behind his back, placing a surfboard on the table. “We’re gnomes, new boy.”  
  
Ikuta glanced around at the hectic pub. The man only wore swimming trunks. “Aren’t gnomes supposed to take care of the garden?”  
  
Matsuoka snorted. “What garden? We haven’t really had a green garden for a few hundred years, not since the time of my grandfather’s father. We refuse to call several meters of nice biological grass, trees waiting to die, and pretty artificial flowers in a vase a garden.” He averted his gaze from Ikuta to the man who had just arrived. “Yamaguchi, put your board somewhere else.”  
  
“You should see how furious the mermaids were when I turned on the waves setting at the pool!” Yamaguchi laughed. He turned his head to Ikuta, offering his hand, “Yamaguchi, but you can call me Gussan.”  
  
Ikuta shook it, and Gussan pointed behind Ikuta’s back. “Here come your friends.”  
  
Yoko and Aiba were finally able to get through the crowd. They stopped behind Ikuta, breathing heavily.  
  
Nagase shoved several warlocks who sat at the bar, ordering them to give their seats up. The warlocks hissed furiously below their hoodies, unwilling to move. Nagase didn’t stir. He gnarled back, ready for a fight.  
  
Matsuoka coughed, simply reminding them of their debt, and the warlocks agreed to leave, glaring at Yoko and Aiba as they passed by. Staring at their backs, Matsuoka shook his head, “Warlocks. Hermits and always in debt.” He caught a sight of Aiba and swiftly apologized. “Not you, of course, you’re a rare sane warlock.”  
  
Aiba smiled cheerfully. “I often wonder myself!”  
  
Yoko saluted Gussan and Matsuoka. “I see that you have met half of Tokio’s owner, thanks to Nagase’s extravagant way of welcoming people,” he told Ikuta.  
  
Nagase grinned. “Everyone loves it.”  
  
“Nagase, not everyone loves to be lifted up by a half-naked man.”  
  
Nagase’s grin got wider. “People always laugh. They love it.”  
  
Yoko was about to continue arguing when Aiba stopped him. “We’re here on business. We need your help.”  
  
Matsuoka took off his sunglasses, leaning closer. “And what can we help you with, I wonder?”’  
  
There was a short pause during which Aiba and Yoko looked at each other. Aiba nudged Yoko, and Yoko turned his head to face the pub’s owners. “Well,” Yoko started, “you’ve helped us several times before with our assignments....”  
  
“We merely repeated the news we heard through the grapevine.” Matsuoka waved his hand impatiently.  
  
“Or what some people said when they had been drunk,” Nagase continued.  
  
“Besides, Inocchi is an old friend.” Gussan nodded approvingly.  
  
“You’ll be surprised to hear what people say when they’re drunk.” Another man spoke from behind Matsuoka, and the three gnomes stepped aside.  
  
“Leader.” Yoko and Aiba greeted him.  
  
Leader, Ikuta noticed, dressed more flamboyantly than the others. Wearing a blond spiky wig with a pink fur shawl around his neck, he was also as bare-chested as the others. What was it with gnomes and their nakedness, Ikuta pondered.  
  
“What kind of information do you need?” Leader sat in front of them, hands slowly rubbing his fur shawl.  
  
“Shouldn’t we move to a more private place first?” Ikuta asked.  
  
“We don’t promise anything,” Leader explained. “As we convey what we have heard to you, others should be given the chance to listen to us.”  
  
“If they could hear us, of course,” Gussan added.  
  
Ikuta looked around and noticed that there was no one else around the bar. Even if the gnomes seemed ignorant and relaxed, Ikuta could tell that they were more serious than before. They were standing to the left and right, keeping the bar safe from unwanted customers. Nagase watched the crowd, and Gussan crossed his arms, standing in full guard pose.  
  
Matsuoka put his sunglasses back on, smiling wickedly, “And you still remember the rules, I believe?”  
  
Yoko replied first, raising his voice. “I ask.”  
  
Aiba pushed him. “No, you’re the questioner last time. This time, it’s my turn.”  
  
“Fine. I’ll drink.”  
  
Nagase guffawed, clapping as if he was celebrating something. “Okay, Ikuta is the stripper.”  
  
Ikuta blinked. “I’m sorry?”  
  
“Aiba ask. Yoko drink. You strip. Easy,” Matsuoka stated in a flat tone as he started preparing a new drink. Ikuta watched as Matsuoka’s hand grabbed a tall mug from his cupboard, shaking something and pouring it into the mug, muttering some words Ikuta didn’t understand. Gnome’s language, most likely. He looked positively serious.  
  
“You’re kidding, right?” Ikuta laughed, but no one laughed with him. He turned his head to Yoko, raising an eyebrow, demanding an explanation.  
  
“It’s the rule here, Ikuta,” Yoko explained shyly. “For each question to be answered, someone must drink, someone else must strip, and the gnomes take your clothes.” He leaned closer to Ikuta, whispering in his ear. “Gnomes love nakedness too much.”  
  
Leader nodded thoughtfully. “We don’t joke about being naked.”  
  
Ikuta looked horror-struck. “You strip then. I drink.”  
  
Yoko shook his head. “No, no, stripping is a new guy’s job.”  
  
“Why didn’t you tell me about this before?” Ikuta complained. He should have suspected that no one could get secret information easily, but still, going home naked was not part of his plan.  
  
“It’s okay, Ikuta. We’ve all done it before. It’s not as bad as it sounds.” Aiba made a promise. “We will stop before you become totally naked.”  
  
Ikuta rolled his eyes. “Very helpful.”  
  
“You can start with your sweater,” Gussan offered.  
  
Ikuta tsked. “Can I refuse?”  
  
The gnomes looked at each other, snickering. “Not if you want the information,” Leader said.  
  
He looked at all the gnomes in front of him. All of them were nearly naked. Ikuta glanced at the crowd behind him, sighing. They seemed busy enough to pay attention at what he was about to do. Ikuta could only hope that people in the pub had been used to nakedness, due to the owners’ habit. Moreover, he really wanted to know more about the legend of the sleeping dragon, as it was something Ikuta had never heard before.  
  
After a quiet moment, he took a deep breath, rubbing his hands. “Okay, let’s start this.”  
  
They all cheered. The gnomes looked suspiciously too happy to see him naked. Ikuta winced; this was not as ordinary as he believed it was. Yoko shouldered him, “That’s our friend!”  
  
Beside him, Aiba gave a cheerful smile, patting his back excitedly before turning his head to the gnomes. “Should we start?”  
  
Leader waved his hand, signaling Aiba to proceed.  
  
“First question. What do you know about....the sleeping dragon?”  
  
The look on the gnomes’ faces changed in an instant. To Ikuta’s amazement, their expression shown a look equal to part horror and part fascination. They moved closer to each other, discussing something in a serious tone, and after a few minutes, Leader emerged, observing them with a careful look. “Why do you ask about it?”  
  
“For each question to be answered, someone must drink, and someone else must strip,” Ikuta repeated.  
  
Gussan growled. “Fair enough. We won’t ask you why you need the information.” He went quiet for a moment, calculating something before he continued, moving his hands around as he spoke. “Now, what do we know about it? Legend says that the sleeping dragon was born by the earth to prevent us from being demolished by the creator. We also heard that he is currently in a deep sleep, pulling himself away from earth’s affairs, waiting for the time when he is needed again. “  
  
“Wait, everyone knows that!” Yoko whined. “You didn’t tell us anything new.”  
  
Matsuoka shoved a tall glass mug shaped like a skull across the table, the green liquid bubbling dangerously inside. “We answered the question, didn’t we? Now drink, and you,” he pointed at Ikuta. “Sweater off.”  
  
Ikuta sniffed. The smell of alcohol was strong even from his place. That and the smell of something else that equally stunk along with a smell of soil. Another special gnome’s treat, perhaps. Ikuta wrinkled his nose, pitying Yoko as his co-worker slowly grasped the mug with both hands.  
  
Nagase gave a snort, looking too eager to see Ikuta opened his clothes. “That’s the first question!”  
  
“Aiba!” Yoko shouted in desperation, scolding his friend.  
  
Aiba clapped his hands together, smiling apologetically.  
  
Ikuta took off his sweater and threw it to Nagase’s arms while Yoko swallowed his first sip of the drink. The gnomes pounded the table eagerly until Yoko swallowed it down. Their smiles were devilish.  
  
Yoko put the mug down, shaking. His face turned green, and Ikuta suddenly felt lucky for being the stripper.  
  
“Okay, what do you know about the sleeping dragon that was not written in the legend?” Aiba was ready with their second question. “And information that most of us probably don’t know yet?” he quickly added.  
  
“That it was dangerous to seek him,” Leader answered with a solemn voice.  
  
“Why?” Aiba asked.  
  
“At what kind of time should he be needed again?” Ikuta followed with the question that had been haunting his mind ever since he knew about the legend.  
  
“That’s two questions,” Gussan said. “But first, drink. And clothes.”  
  
Ikuta opened his shoes, and Yoko took another sip, rubbing his head as he finished, burping green gases to the air. His hand reaching for Aiba’s below the table, clenching his hand in his, face turning brown this time. Aiba raised his hand, rubbing Yoko’s back.  
  
“First, according to the legend, as we all know, the dragon was so powerful it could even stand against the creator,” Nagase said as he took the shoes. “That said, we don’t know what he will do after he wakes up.”  
  
“Some say he will be furious when he sees the current condition of the world he had protected, how we have ruined it, contaminated it, how it is dying, how different it is from the time when he was still walking on the earth,” Leader told them in a flat voice. He hesitated for a while, toning his voice down as he spoke again. “They say that his rise would mean an apocalypse to us all.”  
  
“On the other hand, and this answers your second question,” Matsuoka spoke after that, “others say that the dragon is a being full of compassion, and this is the time that he needs to be woken up. The perfect time before the earth falls apart. They say he will once again save us.”  
  
Yoko, Aiba, and Ikuta were startled upon hearing those answers. Ikuta had never thought that the awakening of the dragon would somehow relate to the future of the earth, not even once. By the expressions on his friends’ face, Ikuta assumed that they had never considered that possibility too.  
  
This was bigger than his expectation, Ikuta thought. Was this the reason why their client was searching for the dragon? To wake him up to save the earth? Or to destroy the earth instead? Remembering Nino, Ikuta believed he was able to do anything.  
  
“You keep calling the dragon a he...” Ikuta started, but Matsuoka stopped him  
  
“Don’t try to cheat, boys. Aiba is the questioner. Now, proceed with the drink and the stripping.”  
  
Ikuta looked below, thinking fast. He took off his belt and socks, handing them to Nagase, who eyed Ikuta as he took them.  
  
Ikuta shrugged. “Well, they still count.”  
  
Two seats from him, Yoko looked at his mug with a terrified look. He inhaled a deep breath and braced himself, hastily swallowing two gulps. The gnomes started pounding the table again, yelling their encouragement. Matsuoka acted even crueler by holding the glass up until Yoko took his third gulp, shuddering as he placed the mug on the table. “That’s...hic...stronger..hic...than I remember it.” He whined, pushing happy Matsuoka aside as his face color changed into orange.  
  
“Bear it for a few more minutes,” Aiba supported Yoko, whispering in his ear. As Yoko nodded, he lifted his head up. “Please, is the dragon a male?”  
  
“We heard that he is,” Leader answered.  
  
“Where did you hear it from?”  
  
Yoko pulled Aiba closer, laying his head on Aiba’s shoulder. “No, no, cancel the question, Aiba, please. They will answer that it was merely a rumor they had heard from the birds.” He gestured at the skull mug. “I’m not sure I will be able to stand this drink of doom much longer.”  
  
“And it’s getting cold here,” Ikuta pointed out.  
  
Aiba agreed. “Okay, ignore the question please.”  
  
Nagase raised an eyebrow, but made a sign that Aiba could continue.  
  
“If we want to search for him, where should we start?”  
  
“Serious, aren’t you?” Leader stroked his fur shawl slowly. “I will give you a warning though, out of my friendship with Inocchi. Others have sought him before you, and no one has ever returned. Do you still want to seek him?”  
  
Aiba and Ikuta nodded. Yoko buried his head deeper in Aiba’s neck, burping.  
  
“Well,” Leader proceeded, “legend says that before the dragon went into his deep slumber in the heart of the earth, he told his dearest friend where precisely he would sleep, how to wake him up, and when he needs to be awakened.” Leader leaned his body forward, giving them a careful look. “That friend, and that friend alone, knows how to find the great dragon.”  
  
“I have never heard this.” Aiba bit his lip. “What kind of creature is this friend?”  
  
“No one knows, that’s why no one ever succeeds.” Matsuoka shook his head. “You don’t have to drink or strip for unanswered questions, but for the previous one, yes,” he reminded them, tapping the skull with a wooden spoon.  
  
Together, Ikuta and Aiba helped Yoko to take another sip. Yoko’s face turned into purple, but at least the skull was almost empty. Ikuta took off his watch and threw it to Nagase, eager to ask more questions. Nagase widened his eyes, ready to blaze. Gussan put his hand on Nagase’s chest, calming him down, chuckling. “This one is smart, I like him.”  
  
“That’s all we can offer you,” Leader said. “That’s all we know about the dragon. The matter of the sleeping dragon had been a taboo subject for centuries. People whispered their curiosity in secret, as they were afraid that they would be laughed at for believing the legend to be real. Youngsters claimed the dragon was just a fairytale, that no creature of such power could ever have existed.”  
  
All of the gnomes nodded solemnly, approving their leader’s statement.  
  
Ikuta and Aiba exchanged glances, both unsure of how to react and feeling just as unknowledgeable as when they started, only more afraid and unsure. They looked down at Yoko, who was giggling happily in Aiba’s neck. Was that all the information they could get? Ikuta fidgeted in his seat, trying to think of more questions they could come up with when another gnome, who wore a fedora and shorts, came to the bar.  
  
“I’ve heard of another rumor though.”  
  
Everyone involved in the conversation quickly fixed their eyes on him. He was smaller than the rest of his friends, with a careful knowing look and a smile that didn’t really reach his eyes. Ikuta’s gaze followed him as the new gnome took a seat beside his leader. “What kind of rumor?’  
  
“I’m not the right person you should ask.” The gnome looked thoughtful. “But, I know someone else who knows more about the dragon than we do. A dear friend of mine.”  
  
Aiba scooted closer, hands carefully supporting Yoko’s head. Yoko was whistling a song, his feet moving around as if he was dancing and hands tapping the air the way they do when Yoko played his bongo. It looked even more obscene considering how purple his skin was, but Aiba didn’t stir. “Who is it, Kokubun?”  
  
“His name is Sakamoto.” The gnome called Kokubun waved his hand toward the stage. “He used to be a singer here. You can search for him at his new workplace.”  
  
Gussan narrowed his eyes. “Sakamoto? I didn’t know he is well-informed about dragon.”  
  
“So it seems,” Kokubun said dryly. “Ask him, and decide for yourself. He owes me. Tell him that I am trading the debt with that piece of information.”  
  
Ikuta and Aiba looked at each other once more, trying to process the whole information they had received that night. There was silence as the gnomes were apparently also lost in their thoughts. Yoko’s was the only voice heard, yelling and cursing and calling Aiba’s name.  
  
The stillness was broken when Nagase suddenly raised his head. “And that’s two questions.”


	2. Chapter 2

**VII**

  
Two days after the night they had spent in Tokio, Ikuta and his co-workers finally decided to pay a visit to Sakamoto. They originally wanted to go earlier, eager to unveil more of the mystery, but Yoko was too hung over to even walk. Looking at his condition, Ikuta made a mental note to be the questioner next time. After getting two more pieces of information from Kokubun, he was forced to go home only wearing his boxers.  
  
Surprisingly, Sakamoto’s new workplace was located at the center of a neighboring town, proudly standing in the middle of a luxurious tourist attraction complex. Kokubun wrote the address on a piece of paper, and they noticed that it was, in fact, an aquarium attraction only after they stood in front of the building. As soon as they opened the door, Ikuta’s mouth fell open. They were standing in an enormous lobby with a highly polished black marble floor and a fountain made from the same material at its center. Taking a few steps further, Ikuta noticed that the fountain was surrounded by several statues of water creatures: fishes, eels, crabs, sea horses. In the middle of the circular pool, stood statues of Merpeople and sea monsters the size of a human. Glancing up, Ikuta saw the largest, tallest, most spacious aquarium he had ever seen. He stepped back, feeling himself drowned by all the blue.  
  
Ikuta nudged Aiba. “What kind of creature is this Sakumoto?”  
  
Aiba whispered, “A hippocampus, I believe.”  
  
Ikuta murmured back, “No wonder he changed his job. This place is closer to his true environment.”  
  
Aiba nodded approvingly.  
  
Yoko came towards them. “The receptionist said we could go to Sakamoto’s office on the 2nd floor.”  
  
“What did you tell her?” Ikuta asked.  
  
“The truth. I said we were sent here by Sakamoto’s best friend, Kokubun. Sakamoto immediately asked us to come up. Apparently, he sang here every night as a part of the attraction.”  
  
Smirking smugly, Yoko led them to the staff stairs at the back. “Come.”  
  
The stairs led them to an alley . Yoko tilted his head to the left, guiding them down the passage until he stopped them in front of a door near the end. Sakamoto’s name was written on it. Yoko took a deep breath and knocked. “Sir, we’re Kokubun’s friends.”  
  
“Wait!” Someone shouted from behind the door. There were a few splashing sounds, and a few minutes later, Sakamoto opened the door, smiling widely. Water dropped down from his hair. “Well, come in, come in.” He ushered them in, shoving them toward the sofa.  
  
He was older than Ikuta expected but also friendlier. Ikuta let his eyes wander around. The room was small but nice, with a small corner to accept guests, which was exactly where they were currently sitting. Sakamoto kept a large empty aquarium in the corner as well. Glancing at their host’s wet arms and feet, Ikuta had a vague guess of what it was for.  
  
Sakamoto looked at their faces, exclaiming proudly. “I’ve seen you before. Innochi’s boys, aren’t you?”  
  
“Yes, sir,” Aiba replied.  
  
Sakamoto sat on an armchair in front of them, clasping his hands. “Now, why did Kokubun send you to me? I owe him something, so I’d be happy to pay my debt.”  
  
Aiba looked at Yoko, who nodded, giving his permission for Aiba to talk.  
  
“Sir,” Aiba started, “we’re looking for more information about the sleeping dragon, and Kokubun said you know more about him than he does.”  
  
Sakamoto’s smile immediately vanished from his face. “He told you that?”  
  
Aiba nodded.  
  
“Damn it, Kokubun.” Sakamoto clenched his fist. “I remember telling him never to speak of this problem.”  
  
“He said that we should decide if we believe you by ourselves,” Ikuta said.  
  
Sakamoto sighed, looking thoughtful. “He told you that too? I was drunk when we had a talk about the dragon. I was not supposed to say that to anyone.”  
  
“He said that he is trading your debt with this information,” Ikuta went on. “Why is everyone so afraid to talk about the sleeping dragon?”  
  
Sakamoto eyed him carefully, judging Ikuta from head to toe. “A newbie, aren’t you?”  
  
“Ikuta joined our office only a month ago,” Yoko answered for him.  
  
Sakamoto stood up, circling the small room a couple of times before letting his voice out again. “What do you expect from knowing more about the dragon? Locating him?” Sakamoto tittered at his own idea. “We don’t even know if he truly exists!”  
  
Aiba coughed, looking uncomfortable in his seat. “Actually, a client did ask us to locate him.”  
  
Sakamoto stopped. “What sort of client was he?”  
  
Aiba turned to Yoko. “Can we tell him?”  
  
Yoko crossed his hands. Raising his head up, he started describing their client. “He looks like a skinny boy, but we could feel his power flowing from him.” Yoko shuddered. “I never came across anyone like him before.”  
  
Sakamoto rubbed his chin and seemed to be thinking about Yoko’s description for a while. Opening his mouth up, he tried to say something, but he closed it again, looking confused and unsure. He circled the room once before sitting back in the armchair, contemplating something. Yoko and Ikuta exchanged glances, wary.  
  
“I think I saw him before,” Sakamoto finally said in a low voice. “Does he wear an eye patch?”  
  
Yoko moved forward, almost bumping into Sakamoto’s knee in his excitement. “Yes, that’s him!”  
  
Sakamoto nodded, leaning back. “He visited my boss a few days ago. I accidentally saw him as he got out of Matsumoto’s office.” He paused for a moment before finishing in a small voice, “I’ve never seen Matsumoto so furious before. He shouted that the boy should leave soon, or he’d do something both of them would regret.”  
  
Yoko’s mouth gaped open, Aiba let out a small gasp, and Ikuta’s brows furrowed.  
  
“A few days before?” Ikuta asked suspiciously. “Can you remember the exact day?”  
  
Sakamoto continued rubbing his chin, thinking for a moment. “It was the night of the storm.”  
  
“And what time was it?” Ikuta continued asking.  
  
“Around 7 P.M., if I remember correctly.”  
  
Yoko, Ikuta, and Aiba exchanged glances. Ikuta could see that his friends were thinking the same thing. Yoko turned his head, voicing out the speculation that had been going on in their minds after hearing the information. “It had to be before he went to our office.”  
  
Ikuta crossed his arms. This information made everything even more complicated than it already was. “What kind of relationship could they possibly have?”  
  
Aiba, who had been quiet for a while, suddenly slapped his knees, breaking up the tension. To Ikuta’s surprise, instead of seeming afraid, he looked more excited than before. “This is kind of getting more thrilling, isn’t it?”  
  
Well, Ikuta thought, thrilling was certainly the perfect word to describe the situation.  
  
“Listen. I don’t know if you are aware of this,” Sakamoto told them. “Matsumoto is a sea monster too. In fact, he recruited me, because he knows what I am. Many of us here are sea creatures.”  
  
Ikuta blinked. That explained the aquarium and how no one considered the fountain as something extraordinary.  
  
“Aiba,” Yoko put his hand on his co-worker’s shoulder, “are you sure we should continue this? This case is bigger than anything we have handled before, and,” he started to raise his voice, “in case you haven’t noticed, Inocchi is not here to guide us. I think we should stop now.”  
  
Aiba did not stir. “I just have this feeling that we should continue. If Nino wants to harm us, he could easily do it anytime.” He turned to Ikuta. “What do you think?”  
  
Ikuta considered the question. Aiba had a point. If Nino’s purpose was to endanger them, he didn’t need to go through all this trouble. There was something else here, and Ikuta wanted to know what it was. However, Yoko was right as well. This case was getting much more complicated than they thought it would be. What was Nino’s business with a sea monster? Why was Matsumoto so furious after their conversation? Why did Nino go to them directly afterwards? Why did Nino give them an impossible task? They needed to make a decision about what they should do next and fast. He lifted his head. “Could you first tell us about the information Kokubun said you have, sir, so we can fix on what we should do next?”  
  
Sakamoto looked perplexed. He approached his aquarium, putting his hands in the water, trying to calm himself down. After a few minutes that seemed to last forever, he sighed. “Fine, I believe Inocchi has a strong reason to tell you about it.”  
  
He rubbed his hand on a towel, sitting back down in front of them, toning down his voice. “This is something that has been told in my family for generations, from father to son. There has been an attempt to wake the sleeping dragon before. Hundreds of years ago. Or perhaps thousands, no one knows for sure.”  
  
Aiba’s jaw dropped. “By who?”  
  
Sakamoto shook his head. “The story doesn’t tell who did it; it only tells about the effect. It was an unsuccessful attempt, and as a result, an earthquake happened. The great earthquake.”  
  
“The great earthquake?” Yoko echoed.  
  
“We still feel the effect today,” Sakamoto continued. “The earthquake was the start of natural malformations. Ever since the earthquake, nature started dying slowly. My family says that the malformations are the punishment of trying to wake the dragon before the correct time.” Sakamoto paused, looking at his feet with deep uncertainty before continuing. “My family’s version of the legend says that the dragon didn’t go to sleep willingly. My great-grandfather said that the earth tossed him away when he was no longer needed. He was forced to retreat back from the earth’s affairs.”  
  
Looking at the three of them, Sakamoto finished in a serious tone, “I personally believe that the dragon had been awakened, and the malformations are part of his revenge for being forced to sleep for centuries.”  
  
Ikuta narrowed his eyes, taken aback. He turned to see his co-workers, seeing that they were as stunned as he was, confused at how to respond. How should they handle this? Ikuta was starting to regret asking the question. Yoko was right; they should probably stop now.  
  
“Can we meet your boss?” Ikuta asked slowly, trying their luck for the last time.  
  
All of a sudden, the door opened wide. All of them jerked. A man came into the room. “There’s no need, I already heard everything.”  
  
Sakamoto hastily stood up. “Matsumoto.”  
  
Ikuta scanned the man curiously. So this was Sakamoto’s boss, he thought, Matsumoto, the sea monster that had an argument with Nino several days ago.  
  
Ikuta gulped. What he saw was beyond what he had expected. Amazed, his eyes were fixated at Matsumoto’s glowing skin and three moles near the lips. Matsumoto was dressed in a glittering blue outfit that would look ridiculous on other people, but strangely enough, the outfit only enhanced Matsumoto’s features more. The eyes that looked back at him were deep and sorrowful, his perfect eyebrows furrowed with a hint of annoyance clearly written on his face. Still, Matsumoto was, for the lack of a better word, beautiful.  
  
Matsumoto flicked his long curly hair, and Ikuta quickly turning his gaze away, embarrassed. Aiba took a step backwards, also lost for words. Matsumoto averted his gaze to his employee. “I never knew that you held such kind of information, Sakamoto.”  
  
“It’s only a bedtime story my father used to tell me,” Sakamoto replied shyly.  
  
“Bedtime story?” Matsumoto chuckled. He turned to Yoko. “Nino, is it, the name he used now?”  
  
Yoko was startled. “Yes, it is.”  
  
Matsumoto passed them by, sitting on the armchair Sakamoto sat on. Even the way he walked was gracious, Ikuta noted.  
  
“I have known him for a long time,” Matsumoto said grimly. “I don’t know why he is searching for the dragon, but dealing with Nino always means trouble.” He moved forward, crossing his hands together.  
  
Aiba fidgeted from where he stood, looking more nervous than the rest of them. He was looking at something in the corner of the room. Ikuta followed his eyes. A bubbling sound was heard from Sakamoto’s aquarium, and he noticed that the water inside was rippling slightly. Aiba couldn’t seem to move his eyes away from it. Ikuta elbowed him, and Aiba gasped, getting his focus back on the conversation.  
  
Matsumoto gave them one cool, stern look. His voice was firm but also sounded sad and lonely. “He can’t be trusted.”  
  
Yoko hesitated for a while, gathering his courage to ask, “What did he want from you that night?”  
  
“It’s none of your business.” Matsumoto suddenly changed his attitude. Looking irritated, he gestured at the door. “Now, please, leave my precious employee alone.”  
  
Even as they left, Aiba’s eyes were still fixated on the bubbles in the aquarium.  
  
  
  
  


**VIII**

  
“Ikuta, Ikuta, wake up.”  
  
Ikuta waved his hand, trying to make the sounds go away. He was exhausted from his little adventures during the past few days, and he needed his rest.  
  
Matsumoto had casted them away from the office buildings, looking disturbed as he heard news about Nino. The three of them had spent the rest of the day arguing whether or not they should continue the case without being able to reach a decision. Aiba kept insisting that they should follow the mystery until they could solve it, while Yoko thought they were not supposed to disturb a legend that was centuries old. Ikuta had not been able to choose a side. It was the first time he had seen Aiba and Yoko in a fight; they were usually so close to each other, but Aiba sounded unusual that night. He had been unusual ever since they left the aquarium. They finally agreed on taking a break, spending the night to rethink their choices. Ikuta was not sure that they needed his opinion. After all, he knew nothing about their world.  
  
Knowing about the dilemma awaiting him when he woke up, he shut his eyes tighter, but the person who called him was persistent. “Ikuta, Ikuta, you need to wake up. There’s something important. Please.”  
  
Ikuta groaned. He opened his eyes, slowly lifting his body from the bed. Looking around, he found Maru and Yasu standing on his bedside table, celebrating their success of waking him up. Ikuta rubbed his eyes, yawning. “What? Do you need more milk?”  
  
“No, no!” Maru waved frantically. “You need to follow us. We saw someone.”  
  
Ikuta sighed, eager to go back to bed. “See who?”  
  
“The one who asked you to search for the dragon.”  
  
Ikuta snapped his eyes open, no longer tired. He kneeled down beside the table, listening with full concentration. “Where?”  
  
“In the alley behind the coffee shop you often visit!” Yasu yelled triumphantly.  
  
“Lead me to him.” Ikuta quickly grabbed his night coat and sandals, pausing for a while to let the elves jump into his pocket. He ran out of the door, following the street to Morita and Miyake’s coffee shop, stopping near the alley Maru and Yasu pointed at.  
  
The air was cold, Ikuta thought as he tightened his night coat. He hid at the corner, trying to catch his breath. He watched the two figures that were talking in the narrow alley. Maru and Yasu were right; it was indeed their client. He put his finger on his lips, ordering the elves to keep quiet before taking a peek again, trying not to let out a sound.  
  
Nino was kneeling on the top of the garbage bin, shuffling a pack of cards, looking as cheerful as always. Still, there was something about him that kept Ikuta’s attention, making him almost unable to avert his gaze away. Ikuta shook his head, forcing himself to divert his attention to the other person standing in front of Nino: a man who was standing nervously. The man’s eyes wandered to observe the environment as if he was afraid that someone would catch him talking there. Ikuta narrowed his eyes. He knew the figure, especially the fedora hat. It was Kokubun.  
  
Kokubun looked around once more before turning his head back to Nino. Ikuta had to admit that it was rather weird to see him with clothes on, standing as tall as human.  
  
“Why? Why do you ask me to do this?” Kokubun asked in a low voice. “What are you planning to do?”  
  
Nino gave a small smile; hands kept shuffling the cards aimlessly. “You have done a good job. Now, I need you to do the same thing as before.”  
  
Kokubun made a movement as if he wanted to shake Nino’s body but decided better. He put his hand down, clenching his fist. “Why are you searching for the dragon? What are you planning to do after you find him?” asked Kokubun stubbornly.  
  
Nino sighed. “You don’t understand, T’chi. I already know where the dragon is sleeping.”  
  
Kokubun’s mouth fell open. He looked at Nino as though he was seeing a ghost.  
  
Behind the wall, Ikuta gritted his teeth. Nino already knows where the dragon is sleeping? What does this mean?  
  
Nino took out five cards from his deck and placed them in the air, facing backside. Ikuta held his breath. Each of the cards were floating in the air after Nino let them go, swinging a little bit to the left and right with the wind.  
  
Kokubun took a step backwards, looking afraid.  
  
Nino didn’t seem to realize his companion’s reaction. He proceeded by showing each card one by one. They were all aces, save for the joker in the middle. He hummed cheerfully, looking pleased with the result. “Can’t you see it? The pieces are starting to be put into their places.”  
  
Kokubun shook his head; his voice was shaking a bit. “Why? Why do you need them to search for the dragon if you already know where he is? I don’t understand.”  
  
Nino stopped humming. He stared at Kokubun with his cold golden eye, replying dryly. “I need him to open the place for me.”  
  
There was a pause. Nino’s eye showed sorrow so painful, sending a cold shiver down Ikuta’s spine. He unconsciously gripped his night coat tighter.  
  
“Him?” Kokubun sounded as confused as Ikuta was. “Who?”  
  
“You don’t need to know.” Nino flicked his hand lazily. The cards changed position, swapping place with each other while the joker remained in the center. “You just need to follow my instructions.”  
  
The wind shifted direction, and all of a sudden, Nino’s expression changed. He inhaled the air, sniffing. “It seems that someone has been eavesdropping on our conversation.”  
  
Kokubun turned his body around in surprise.  
  
Nino merely laughed. “Come out, come out, I already know you are there.” His eyes were fixed to the wall that Ikuta was hiding behind.  
  
Ikuta looked down below at the two elves. Both of them shook their heads disapprovingly, but Ikuta needed an answer. He took a step out, revealing himself slowly to face his mysterious client.  
  
“What are you planning to do? Why do you ask us to search for the dragon if you already know where he sleeps?” he blurted out the questions. Ikuta was rarely angry, but he could feel his voice shaking with anger. Anger, frustration, confusion, hurt, betrayal. All those feelings were mixed together, directed at the person in front of him who had asked them to do an impossible task and then rolled them around in his hands, treating them as his puppets.  
  
Nino smiled a little. “Follow the path through, and you’ll find the answer.”  
  
Ikuta was about to ask more questions when Nino abruptly jumped at him, pressing his forehead into his, hissing, “You are one of mine.”  
  
He tried to push the man back, but Nino held his head with both of his hands, blowing into his eyes and pushing Ikuta to the ground. It all happened so fast that Ikuta was unable to react. He tried to get up but was forced to lie back down again, groaning as he felt an unexpected sharp pain in the back of his eyes. A few gold flakes shimmered in his eyes, clouding his sight with golden glittering colors. Ikuta closed his eyes with both hands, gasping for air as his eyes twitched uncomfortably. It felt like his eyes were stabbed repeatedly with a knife. He cried louder as the pain crept to his head, paralyzing him, filling his brain with more golden flakes. Ikuta hit his head on the ground to remove the pain, but it was useless. He lost the sense of time as he bit his lip, trying to shove the pain away. Just as Ikuta felt he couldn’t bear the pain any longer, it stopped as fast as it had appeared.  
  
Ikuta inhaled a deep breath, needing a few moments to realize that the pain had gone for sure. He opened his eyes slowly. The gold flakes were gone. He shook his head, numbed by what had just happened to him.  
  
When he lifted his head up, he found out that Nino was still there, standing with his back on the wall. He crossed his arms; his eyes were watching Ikuta carefully.  
  
Ikuta stood up with much difficulty. His limbs were weaker than he thought it would be. He growled. “What did you just do to me?”  
  
Nino smirked. He seemed to enjoy Ikuta’s pain. “You’ll see.”  
  
Ikuta roared, arms spreading out to take hold of his client, but before Ikuta could reach him, Nino had jumped, grabbing several jutted bricks, and lifted himself up, climbing his way up to the roof. Ikuta ran to the wall, trying to find a way to climb it, but the wall was simply too high. He would not be able to make it to the top. He watched hopelessly as Nino jumped easily, having no trouble reaching the top.  
  
“Oi!” He shouted furiously in despair. He ran alongside the wall, trying to chase him despite knowing how useless it was. Nino turned back, waving at him, laughing, jumping from one roof to the other as if he was as light as a feather. Soon, he was out of Ikuta’s sight, and only his chuckling sounds remained behind. Ikuta groaned. He punched the wall desperately, frustrated at his incapability.  
  
Kokubun showed up behind him. His voice was small and considerate. “You won’t be able to catch him.”  
  
Ikuta spun his body around. Grabbing Kokubun’s collar, he shoved him to the wall. He knew it was wrong to direct his confusion at the gnome, but there was no one else there. Kokubun’s hat fell onto the ground. “You...” he started.  
  
“I have no choice, okay?” Kokubun shouted in panic tone. “He knows my real name.”  
  
Ikuta did not stir, but he tightened his grip. They were alone in the deserted alley; no one would question what he was doing. “What do you mean?”  
  
Kokubun coughed. “Listen. We, creatures of magic, are different from ordinary people.”  
  
Ikuta pulled Kokubun’s collar, choking him. “Explain.”  
  
“We don’t share our real name, because our names are equivalent to our souls. The one who knows our names have absolute power over us.” He closed his eyes, tilting his head. “I couldn’t refuse him.”  
  
Ikuta let his hands go. Kokubun stumbled but quickly managed to stand again in full dignity.  
  
“Is that true?” He asked the elves in his pocket. Both of whom nodded, backing the statement up. “How could he know your real name if you didn’t tell him?” Ikuta asked, still looking unconvinced.  
  
Kokubun glared at him. “I don’t know. He came to me one day out of nowhere calling my name out.”  
  
Ikuta walked around, eyeing Kokubun suspiciously. “Why should I trust you after you lied to us?”  
  
“Look,” Kokubun shouted, hands in his pockets. “I didn’t lie. He told me that I had to lead you to someone who knew more about the dragon than I do, and I led you to Sakamoto, who truly has more information about the dragon. Isn’t that what you wanted?”  
  
Ikuta wanted to argue, but he knew Kokubun was right. They had been eager to hear more information about the dragon, and Kokubun showed them the right direction. They probably would still go to Sakamoto even if they knew Kokubun was told to do that by Nino.  
  
“What did he just do to me?”  
  
“I have no idea.”  
  
“What else does he want you to do?”  
  
Kokubun sighed. He grabbed his hat and put it back on his head, looking grim. “He told me that I should lead you to someone named Sakurai.”  
  
“And who is this Sakurai?”  
  
Kokubun shook his head. “I’ve never heard of him before.” He hesitated for a while. “Nino said he lived at the farm on the West District.”  
  
Ikuta walked around in frustration, trying to guess what Nino wanted from them. If he purposely led them to Sakamoto, that would mean he knew they would find out about his argument with Matsumoto too. Ikuta’s mind was spinning. Nino wanted them to know his relationship with Matsumoto, but why? Did it mean Sakamoto’s fairytale story was the true version of the legend?  
  
He turned his head to Kokubun. “Do you know what he meant by needing someone to open the place?”  
  
Kokubun sighed. “I am as confused as you are.” He looked at the roof then back on the ground, fidgeting. He sounded irritated. “Look, he’s gone now, and I was forced to do this. I am sorry, but I’m the same as you, a pawn on his game board. I know nothing more than you do. Can I go now?”  
  
Ikuta was skeptical; in fact, he was not sure who he could trust anymore. Still, he couldn’t find a reason to hold up Kokubun. Kokubun was not the source of their problem; Nino was. “I guess so, but remember,” he warned him, “we know where to find you.”  
  
“Don’t worry.” Kokubun opened his hat, saluting Ikuta as he walked in opposite direction of the coffee shop. “I don’t think he still needs me.”  
  
Ikuta watched Kokubun’s back with a grim expression, lost in thoughts. Perhaps Kokubun was right; Nino wouldn’t need him again after he found out about their secret agreement. No, Ikuta shook his head silently, not an agreement. They were all just pawns in Nino’s board game, not knowing where Nino would lead them.  
  
Nino had done something to him, and even after he left, Ikuta still grimaced when he remembered the pain and the golden flakes flashing in his eyes. He blinked his eyes several times, not feeling any different. However, Ikuta didn’t believe that someone like him would do that without having a purpose. Yes, Nino did whatever he did for a reason. The question here was, Ikuta pondered, what would he do about that?  
  
Maru and Yasu snuggled free from his pocket. “Are we being helpful?” Maru asked.  
  
“Yes, you are. Good job.” Ikuta handed them a few pieces of candy. He looked above, watching the sun rising as he thought carefully about what he wanted to do. Ikuta took a deep breath. The sky was clearing and so was his mind. Looking below, he smiled at the sight of Maru and Yasu munching their candies. “Now, we need to report this back to Yoko and Aiba.”  
  
  
  
  


**IX**

  
“Are you serious?” Yoko slammed the table, horror-struck after listening to Ikuta’s report.  
  
“Very,” Ikuta winced as a few pens scrolled down the table into his lap. He had just told them everything that he had seen earlier. Their reactions were immediate, as Ikuta had expected them to be. Yoko had been listening to him with eyes wide open, while Aiba silently stood next to the table.  
  
“Kokubun led us to Sakamoto on Nino’s order,” Ikuta calmly repeated the information, deliberately not mentioning what Nino had done to him.  
  
Yoko shook his head, looking troubled and confused. “I thought my ears fooled me.” He sat back on Inocchi’s chair, mumbling words that sounded suspiciously like  _outrageous_  and  _unbelievable_.  
  
Ikuta crossed his legs.  _You are one of mine._  Ikuta bit his lip. He had been enraged initially, but he calmed down after deciding what to do. He needed to know what those words meant, even if it meant running into danger.  
  
Yoko spun the chair around slowly, unconsciously swirling the pen in his hand. Then, to Ikuta’s surprise, he suddenly stood up, circling the room pointlessly, his expression aghast. He continued mumbling, blurting out a few unclear words. After a few turns about the room, Yoko finally started asking questions. His voice was thick with confusion. “Why did he do it? What’s the purpose? Why us?”  
  
“What should we do now?” Aiba asked.  
  
Curious, Ikuta took a glance at him. Aiba was restless, moving his feet unconsciously to the left and right, looking thoughtful but also nervous. The smile and determination that was usually present on his face was nowhere to be seen. His face was pale. Ikuta couldn’t blame him; this development had to be more thrilling than what Aiba had expected. Still, he had never seen Aiba act like this before. Did Aiba feel guilty for insisting that they continue the investigation?  
  
Ikuta opened his mouth, but before he was able to express his concern, Yoko had replied to Aiba’s question first. Staring at Aiba as if their co-worker was mad, he told them, “We should stop. Simple.”  
  
Aiba didn’t budge. He kept moving around, looking like he was about to say something but not sure of how to tell them, opening and closing his mouth several times. Yoko didn’t pay attention to it though. He was too lost in his own thoughts, muttering some possibilities of why their client acted that way. Each sounded more illogical than the previous one.  
  
Ikuta crossed his fingers, his brows furrowed in thought, mind ticking to calculate the words he was about to say. It was the time to convince his friends to agree, to make them see his reasons. Aiba might say something to change Yoko’s mind, so he had to say it ahead of him. Nino had done something to him, and he intended to find out what it was. He cleared his throat. As he had hoped, both Yoko and Aiba raised their heads up, paying attention to him.  
  
“Gents, please listen to me here,” Ikuta started. “I told you that Nino said he knows where the dragon is sleeping.” He paused, giving Aiba and Yoko some time to nod. “But,” he gave a cool, careful look, “he also said that he needs someone to open the door for him.”  
  
Yoko waved his pen around, his tongue made a frustrating tsking sound. “Yes, Ikuta, but the question is, who?”  
  
“I don’t know.” Ikuta shook his head. “And neither does Kokubun.” He rubbed his chin, taking a few moments to rephrase his words.  
  
“Remember,” Leaning his body forward, he grabbed the pen from Yoko, pointing it at Yoko’s face, “Nino also wanted us to search for another man. Sakurai.” His eyes swept his friends’ reactions. “Do you recall that name?”  
  
“No,” Aiba quickly shut down his hopes.  
  
Ikuta sighed. This would not be as easy as he thought.  
  
Yoko grabbed the pen back. His eyes studied Ikuta carefully. “Are you saying that we should continue searching for this legendary-perhaps-aggressive-perhaps-nice dragon?”  
  
“We’re already halfway.” Ikuta hastily replied, trying to explain where he came from. Tapping the table with a pen taken from his lap, he spoke in a flat voice. “If Nino uses us for his own advantage, I want to be there until the end. I want to know what we are actually being used for. I don’t like giving up before reaching the end of the road.” He crossed his arms firmly, stressing out the last part.  
  
Yoko’s eyes left him a bit to search for Aiba’s reaction. Yoko didn’t immediately respond to Ikuta’s statement, and Ikuta didn’t rush him, waiting patiently for their opinions. Ikuta was certain that the silence meant they were actually agreeing with what he said. He tried to sound confident, but the fact was, he needed his friends. He couldn’t do it without them. If they chose to give up, Ikuta wouldn’t be able to solve the mystery. He bit the inside of his mouth, silently praying that they would agree to pursue the case.  
  
Yoko sighed, leaning back in his chair, looking defeated. His hands instinctively went to his forehead, rubbing it in frustration. Ikuta stayed silent. Any moment now, he thought as he took a glance at the clock. Yoko groaned hoarsely. Sitting back up, he finally admitted, “I hate to say this, but you have a point.”  
  
Ikuta grinned widely, feeling a sudden air of relief. “I know you’d agree.”  
  
He moved his eyes to Aiba next, hoping that he’d be in agreement. “What do you say?”  
  
Aiba said nothing; he suddenly took the seat next to him instead, fingers tapping the table nervously. Ikuta licked his lips nervously. Aiba had been the one who was more excited about the investigation ever since the very beginning. Ikuta could only hope that he still had the same enthusiasm to finish the case.  
  
Aiba took a deep breath. When he was ready to talk, his eyes were looking straight to Yoko’s. “I need to confess something.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“I’m scared of that man,” Aiba whispered, as if it was something forbidden to be said out loud.  
  
Ikuta and Yoko quickly exchanged glances, both having mirrored expression of bewilderment. When neither Ikuta nor Yoko replied, Aiba went on. His voice was a little unsure. “Matsumoto.”  
  
Yoko coughed. He fixed his position in the chair. “Why?”  
  
Aiba shook his head, looking even more uneasy. “I don’t know.”  
  
“But there must be something he did that made you feel that way...”  
  
“It’s his presence. Yoko, don’t you understand?” Aiba suddenly raised his voice, driven out by his irritation.  
  
Ikuta dropped his leg, surprised to see a side of Aiba he had never seen before. When he noticed that Aiba was shaking, he promptly turned his head to Yoko, somehow feeling comforted to find Yoko as equally clueless as he was. No, if his senses were right, Yoko looked even more confused. His eyebrows furrowed, his expression startled. Judging from his reaction, Ikuta assumed that it was truly rare for Aiba to behave like this.  
  
Yoko, however, didn’t stay stunned for a long time. He swiftly regained his composure. He spread out his arm, giving a signal for Ikuta to stay silent. “Have you seen him somewhere?”  
  
Aiba continued shaking his head. “I don’t know. I really don’t know.”  
  
Yoko suddenly stood up. He walked to Aiba’s chair, kneeling in front of their friend, holding his hands in his.  
  
“It’s okay. Look, it’s okay.” Yoko pressed their foreheads together, urging Aiba to calm down. His hands never let go of Aiba’s. He kept rubbing them slowly, waiting until the trembling stopped, murmuring soothing words into Aiba’s ears. Looking at the intimate behavior, Ikuta tried to look away, silently wishing that he was not sitting in the room.  
  
Aiba pressed his forehead back, nodded alongside Yoko’s words. After a while, Aiba’s anxiety finally died down. He hugged Yoko, mouthing his thank yous. Yoko patted his back in return.  
  
Aiba raised his different-colored eyes at Ikuta, offering him a shy smile. “I’m sorry.” He looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t blow up like that.”  
  
Ikuta patted Aiba’s shoulder carefully, smiling back. “Hey, it’s okay.”  
  
Aiba took a deep breath before beginning his explanation; a sad smile escaped his lips. “Sometimes I get a glimpse of feelings like this. You know how I can talk to plants, right? Well, it’s not just that. I can feel their emotions too. I can feel their sadness and grief and anger and dreams. Sometimes, I dream of things that didn’t happen to me – flashes of images that don’t mean anything. Inocchi said that I have too much empathy, and it is supposed to be a good thing instead of a bad thing.”  
  
“Aiba usually has a headache when the symptoms appear.” Yoko pointed out with a hint of worry. “Or he feels really, really unwell.”  
  
“Yoko, it’s okay. I don’t think he knows me. His feeling was just too strong, and it rippled back to me.” Aiba waved his hand around. “Anyway, we need to figure out our next move now.”  
  
Ikuta blinked. “Are you sure?”  
  
Aiba bobbed his head in excitement.  
  
Ikuta could see that he had slowly recovered to his usual self, acting as if the outburst didn’t happen. Nevertheless, Ikuta was still concerned. He liked Aiba, and he obviously didn’t want to drag him, or Yoko, into doing things they didn’t want to do, no matter how badly he wanted to solve the case. Ikuta leaned forward, speaking slowly. “Aiba, I said those words before I knew about your other... ability. If you want to stop, I will stop.”  
  
“No,” Aiba shook his head persistently. “I consider this as a sign that we should keep on searching.”  
  
“Are you certain?” Yoko asked.  
  
Aiba nodded his head, smiling.  
  
“Then, we need to search for this man,” Yoko let go of Aiba’s hands, suddenly turning his interest to Ikuta. “Sakurai.”  
  
Ikuta nodded, agreeing. “Where do we want to start?”  
  
“You said he lives on a farm in the West District,” Aiba said.  
  
“If we believe Nino, yes.”  
  
“We also need someone to keep an eye of Matsumoto.” Yoko stood up. “See if he knows more about the dragon. Find out why Nino visited him, and if he visits him again.”  
  
Ikuta nodded. He knew that, with this decision, their investigation had taken one step further, making it harder for them to go back. “Should we check on Kokubun too?”  
  
Aiba considered his question for a while. “I don’t think so. We can’t really blame him if Nino has his real name.”  
  
“Let’s see.” Yoko grabbed a pen and paper, writing down notes. “Ikuta, you’re new. Matsumoto won’t suspect you as much as he would us. Could you...”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“I haven’t even finished the question yet.”  
  
“You need me to watch him, right?” Ikuta blushed.  
  
Yoko gave him a suspicious look, but Ikuta forced himself to his face straight.  
  
“Yoko and I will search for Sakurai,” Aiba announced.  
  
“Okay, let’s do it that way then.” Yoko nodded, deciding to let Ikuta go. “Wait.” He walked to one of the chests that was stuffed below Inocchi’s chair and came up with a whiskey bottle. Opening it, he grinned. “Better celebrate this with something good. Morita’s and Miyake’s specialty.”  
  
Ikuta laughed out loud upon seeing the bottle, remembering the night when he first found out about his ancestors. Although he still didn’t know what he was capable of doing, he couldn’t stop smiling when he compared his old life with the new one. Who knew that he — a part-time reporter who was usually only given the chance to write a small boring column — would have an adventure of his own?

  
Aiba poured the liquid down their glasses. Lifting up his glass, he proposed, “To the dragon?”  
  
Yoko and Ikuta raised theirs. “To the dragon.”  
  
 _‘And to find out what Nino did to me,’_  Ikuta silently added before drinking his whiskey.  
  
  
  


**X**

  
The next day, they went to separate locations. Yoko and Aiba were off to search for Sakurai, while Ikuta headed out to spy on Matsumoto’s daily activities.  
  
It was harder to find Sakurai’s location than Yoko and Aiba had expected. Sure, they knew – or at least tried to convince themselves that Nino was truthful this time – that he lived somewhere in the West District, but the area was way bigger than the East District where they had met Sakamoto. Browsing through the phone book, they didn’t come across anyone with a name close to Sakurai.  
  
Yoko and Aiba eventually had to stop several times to ask people if they knew anyone named Sakurai. One man said that a Sakurai lived in a village at the center of the town; another man told them that a Sakurai taught economics at a well-known university; yet one more man pointed toward the direction of a luxurious mansion. All of the advice they received led Aiba and Yoko to nothing but traveling around the town, ending up in various strange places without any hint of the Sakurai they were searching for.  
  
On the third day, they were as clueless as when they had just started, and Yoko was about to give up – feeling sure that Nino had once again tricked them – when a miracle happened in a small market at the foot of the mountain. They were just asking random people in the market, hoping that someone knew anyone named Sakurai when a man piped in during their conversation with a vegetable stall owner.  
  
“I know someone named Sakurai,” He spoke calmly.  
  
Yoko turned his head. The man who said those words was standing in front of a milk stall, carrying a few large cans of milk with both hands. He was shorter than them both, with broad shoulders, short legs, and handsome features.  
  
Yoko bowed his head, and the man returned the gesture politely before turning his back, proceeding to put the milk cans in the back of his nearby pick-up truck. Aiba gave his thanks to the vegetable stall owner and ran to catch the man.  
  
“Sir, wait. I’m sorry, sir. Did you just say that you know Sakurai?”  
  
“Mm.” The man nodded again. He jumped up into the bed of the truck, bowing down to fix the position of his milk cans. “I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know you though.”  
  
“He doesn’t,” Aiba confessed. He held the car’s door forcefully, head looking up to draw the man’s attention back to them. “Someone asked us to search for him.”  
  
The man stopped what he was doing. Kneeling down, he tilted his head a little. “Who?”  
  
Yoko stepped forward to join the conversation. “We don’t know by what name Sakurai knows him, but we are here to ask him about something important.” Yoko toned his voice down, practically whispering in the man’s ear. “The sleeping dragon.”  
  
Aiba let out a gasp.”Yoko!” He poked his co-worker worriedly, but Yoko ignored him, merely waving his hand impatiently to shush Aiba up.  
  
“We have been searching for him for days, and we really need to find him, so please, if you know where he lives, could you tell us where it is?” Yoko pleaded.  
  
The man hummed slightly, considering Yoko’s request for a moment. His face remained unreadable. Shaking his head, he pushed Yoko away gently, his voice sounding more sincere than before. “Who?”  
  
Yoko clicked his teeth together, getting impatient. He moved forward, but Aiba quickly grabbed his arm, preventing him to say anything that might cause a stir between them.  
  
“He looks like a boy. Pale and skinny, with one eye covered with an eye patch and one healthy light brown eye,” Aiba told the man honestly, thinking that he better tell the truth at this kind of time.  
  
Upon that answer, the man nodded calmly.  
  
Yoko nudged Aiba, inquiring the unspoken question. Aiba shook his head, silently asking Yoko to not say a word. He simply took a step backward, giving the man space as he jumped down from the car, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.  
  
“A light brown eye? Or a golden eye?  
  
Hearing the response, Yoko clapped his hand, looking ecstatic as it proved that they were getting closer to the answer. If this man knew who their client was, it would be easier to explain their case. “Yes, that’s him. Sometimes his eye color will change into golden, true!”  
  
The man raised his head, stating flatly. “Nino doesn’t need you to search for Sakurai. He knows where we live.”  
  
Aiba widened his eyes. He shouted, “We?” at the same time that Yoko asked, “You are Nino’s friend too?”  
  
“Well, yes, Sakurai and I share a house together.” The man jerked his head to the back. “Up in the mountain.”  
  
“Can you please take us there?”  
  
“I can, I guess.” The man shrugged. “But why do I need to do that?”  
  
“I’ll be honest here,” Yoko leaned forward, getting serious. “Nino ordered someone to trick us, and we want to know why. He mentioned that we need to find Sakurai, and so we came here, searching for him, hoping that he’ll know the answer.”  
  
Aiba nodded his head to back up Yoko’s statement. This man was the only one who seemed to know the Sakurai they were searching for. Aiba silently wondered why Sakurai preferred to live in such a private place. Though this mysterious man had told them where they live, the mountain was huge. People could easily get lost in it, and Aiba knew they could waste several more days exploring it before they found the place. That’s if they could find it. There was always the possibility that they would get lost. He wouldn’t really mind it, because he could talk to the trees, but Yoko wouldn’t like it much. His eyes scanned the mountain, shuddering at the fact that they would meet the mysterious Sakurai soon. Of course, it would only happen if they successfully persuaded the man in front of them to take them to their house.  
  
In the meantime, the man leaned his back on the car, hands in his pocket, thinking about their request cautiously. He looked at the mountain for a while. His feet stayed firmly on the ground, but it was clear that his mind was busy pondering something else. Yoko gave a signal to Aiba to talk again at the same time the man opened his mouth. Tilting his head a little, the man spoke with a wondering tone.”Doesn’t it mean you fell into his trap then?”  
  
“This is different!” Aiba protested. “This time we fell into his trap willingly!”  
  
“Aiba!” Yoko hit Aiba’s head, half amused and half annoyed. “We didn’t fall into his trap. We are here to outsmart him.” Aiba quickly rub his head, smiling sheepishly.  
  
“It will be hard to outsmart Nino.” The man chuckled softly, his hand reaching for the driver’s door.  
  
“Wait!” Aiba called out, a hint of panic was clearly heard in his voice. “What about us?”  
  
The man stopped, confused. “You asked me to take you to him. Have you changed your mind now?”  
  
“Eh?” Aiba grabbed Yoko’s arm, clutching him tight. “Are you going to?”  
  
“Come aboard.” The man smiled sweetly, circling the car to open the passenger seat for them.  
  
Aiba beamed. “Thank you!”  
  
Yoko let out a triumphant yell. He shook the man’s hand, gripping it tighter than he should, overwhelming the man with his eagerness. “Thank you! Thank you!”  
  
“By the way, I’m Aiba, and this is Yokoyama. Nice to meet you!” Aiba introduced their names, gesturing to Yoko and himself. “What’s your name?”  
  
The man opened the car door. “I’m Okada.”  
  



	3. Chapter 3

 

**XI**

  
“You know that I can see you, right?”  
  
Ikuta looked up. Matsumoto was standing above him beside the bushes. A hint of annoyance was clearly heard in his voice. Looking at Ikuta’s bewildered expression, he tsked. Matsumoto put his hands on his hips, eyebrows furrowed. “For a detective, you’re not that good at hiding.”  
  
Ikuta took a deep breath, beaten. Standing up, he quickly apologized, only feeling sorry that he was caught instead of stalking him. He had been trailing Matsumoto for two days, following him in his activities, and yet, he was captured red-handedly before long. Ikuta wondered what he should report to his co-workers when they came back. Well, he was a writer, not a spy!  
  
So far, he hadn’t seen Nino anywhere near Matsumoto, and neither did Matsumoto make an effort to contact him. Ikuta had begun to wonder if he was wasting his time and whether they were wrong, but truthfully, watching Matsumoto was quite a fascinating activity.  
  
The man was busy, Ikuta was sure of that. His schedule was packed with activities, right from the time the sun was rising until way past midnight. Ikuta didn’t know how Matsumoto could keep up with everything. Every evening after Matsumoto went inside his bedroom, Ikuta went home by practically dragging his feet, gathering all the strength he had left to collapse in his own bed, not in the car. He wouldn’t be able to wake up if not for Maru and Yasu screaming in his ears every morning.  
  
To Ikuta’s relief, Matsumoto did not look as murderous as Ikuta thought he would be. In fact, he looked rather amused by the whole situation, and well, Ikuta couldn’t blame him. Aiba had insisted that Ikuta wear his safari outfits, stocking him with a telescope and a helmet covered with leaves. Yoko had personally painted his face with charcoal, ignoring Ikuta’s yells of protest. They told him that Matsumoto could probably spot his glow from afar, and the best way to cover it up was by doodling his skin with dark charcoal. Ikuta didn’t believe them, but he didn’t want to take a risk. At least he was dressed for battle.  
  
As they were facing each other, Ikuta’s eyes scanned Matsumoto’s glamorous look, noting that they couldn’t be anymore different. Like before, the sea monster was wearing flamboyant clothing. This time, Ikuta had to narrow his eyes for it was an electric blue jersey with big flower prints, drawn all the way from his chest to back. Blinking, Ikuta suddenly felt grateful for his own outfit. At least it was not that flashy.  
  
Matsumoto coughed, and Ikuta snapped back, trying hard not to look too ashamed. Focusing his eyes back on Matsumoto’s face, Ikuta was surprised to see the man raising his eyebrow, a small smile playing in his lips. “Did they force you to wear this?”  
  
Ikuta grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.  
  
Matsumoto shook his head in pity. “Come on, let’s have a drink.” Matsumoto jerked his head at the building on the corner of the street. “There’s a bar in the basement.”  
  
He turned his back and began walking quickly, leading Ikuta down the stairs to a small pub with a big aquarium in the background and lightened by green lights that also served as the only source of light in the room.  
  
Matsumoto took a seat on a long couch, gesturing Ikuta to sit in front of him.  
  
“Do you own this place?” Ikuta chose to walk to the aquarium instead, watching the fishes, big and small, colorful and plain, swimming wildly to welcome Matsumoto.  
  
Matsumoto nodded, ordering the waiter to bring them a bottle of whiskey with ice.  
  
Ikuta took a seat. Crossing his hands nervously, he watched Matsumoto, pondering why he was taken here.  
  
Matsumoto leaned back, speaking in a casual voice. “I’ve been thinking since you guys left.”  
  
Ikuta snapped his eyes open, his heart was bursting with hope. Perhaps Matsumoto dragged him down here to tell the story of him and Nino. “And then?”  
  
The waiter came back with the order, and Matsumoto went silent. As soon as the waiter was gone, he swirled his glass, speaking in a low tone, “I overheard you guys saying that Nino visited you after I had kicked him out. What did he want?”  
  
“Well,” Ikuta sat, rubbing his hands together. “If I tell you the reason, by all means, it’s not for free. In return, I want to know why he wanted to see you.”  
  
“It’s probably the same reason why he went to your place.” Matsumoto said coldly.  
  
“Fine,” Ikuta growled. “Then tell me what your relationship with him is.”  
  
Matsumoto scowled. He thought about the demand carefully before replying. “Fine, but tell me what he wanted from you first.”  
  
Ikuta bowed his head, agreeing. He took a sip, letting the effect of the whiskey calmed him down a bit. For some unexplainable reason, he was always nervous when Matsumoto looked at him. Wiping his lip with his hands, Ikuta put his glass down, ready. He started explaining the progress that had been happening in the past week.  
  
“Nino came to us on the night of the storm, asking us to search for the legendary sleeping dragon, as you may already know.” Ikuta took another sip, keeping his eyes firmly set on the man sitting in front of him.  
  
Matsumoto swallowed his drink, his face remaining calm.  
  
Ikuta was about to add that this past month had been the weirdest experience in his life but decided better. He proceeded by telling Matsumoto the most recent progress on the case. “I just know that he actually ordered someone to lead us to Sakamoto, and he also planned to ask that person to guide us to a man named Sakurai.”  
  
Matsumoto widened his eyes; his expression was a mix between shock and something else. Loneliness? Regret? Ikuta tried to catch it, but the reaction was gone as soon as it appeared.  
  
“Do you know him as well? This Sakurai?” Ikuta asked carefully, examining Matsumoto.  
  
Matsumoto didn’t immediately respond; his expression was harsh. He turned his head to the back, fingers scanning the aquarium glass aimlessly. For a moment, the reflection of the water changed his eyes into blue-green, a deep blue-green that suited him more than his ordinary black eyes.  
  
“We have known each other for quite a long time,” he finally whispered.  
  
Ikuta took another sip. His eyes never left Matsumoto, amazed by the longing drawn in the man’s eyes. Matsumoto seemed to have a strong bond with Sakurai. With Nino too.  
  
Matsumoto stood beside the aquarium with a painful expression in his face, haunted by his past. His hands pressed the glass, and the fish came around offering their greetings. Ikuta sat in silence, absorbing the view in front of him. Matsumoto had that effect on people. One of the fish flicked its tail, and Matsumoto recovered from his thoughts, allowing himself a little smile. “It is a story from a long time ago.”  
  
“Did you know the dragon as well?” Ikuta blurted out, putting his glass down.  
  
Matsumoto quickly looked back at him, glowering. His aura changed drastically from melancholic to anger. “What made you think so?”  
  
Ikuta shrugged. “Nino told us that the dragon was a dear friend of his.”  
  
Matsumoto moved swiftly, suddenly grabbing Ikuta’s collar. Ikuta choked. Matsumoto was stronger than he looked.  
  
“He told you that the dragon was a dear friend of his?” Matsumoto’s eyes glistened a dangerous blue, his body shaking with fury. Ikuta could feel something rippling in Matsumoto’s body. He coughed, feeling the pressure of Matsumoto’s aura on him, drowning him and leaving him gasping for air. The fish behind him swam in panic as if they could also sense something. “It’s all lies! Lies! Nino is nothing but a liar!”  
  
Ikuta grabbed Matsumoto’s arm, trying to push him away. “I only repeated what he said! Please, calm yourself down!”  
  
The words seemed to strike Matsumoto. He let go of Ikuta and dropped himself down on the sofa. Ikuta coughed, loosening his button to get more air, trying to catch his breath. He watched Matsumoto grab the whiskey bottle, drinking it in big gulps. Putting the bottle down, Matsumoto wiped his chin harshly. “Damn it, I need something stronger than this to talk about him!”  
  
When he saw that the man had calmed down a bit, Ikuta took back his seat, slowly taking the bottle away from Matsumoto’s hand. The man didn’t refuse and merely bowed his head down. Seeing his grief, Ikuta was sure that Matsumoto was still suffering from his past, tormented and hurt by what Nino had done to him. Whatever it was, Ikuta was certain that it was related to the dragon. “What happened?”  
  
Matsumoto lifted up his head. For a moment, he said nothing, and Ikuta thought he wouldn’t say a word of explanation. However, Matsumoto suddenly shook his head, muttering rapidly as if he had been waiting his whole life to tell the story.  
  
“We were perfect. We were perfect together, and he ruined it all. He betrayed us, sacrificed all of us for his own good. He broke our oath, the most powerful oath ever made, to gain more power for himself, and then, he couldn’t even control it. It was bound to happen when he took something that was not his. When he came to me, I knew the power had overwhelmed him. I knew even he couldn’t manage that much power. I know he was desperate for help.” Matsumoto paused for a while, his voice shaking when he went on. The sorrow in his eyes was almost too painful to watch. “I want to hate him. I told myself that I shouldn’t help him, but I can’t do that. We were together for so long, I can’t hate him. The only way to save him is by finding the sleeping dragon, but no one knows where he is, and if Nino can’t find him, we’re all doomed. “  
  
Ikuta gulped. Matsumoto bowed his head down, burying his face in his hands. After a moment of silence, Ikuta asked, feeling as startled as he sounded, “Who are we, Matsumoto?”  
  
Matsumoto looked up. His eyes spoke the truth. “All of us. The earth is dying.”  
  
  
  
  


**XII**

  
The journey to Okada’s house took longer than Aiba and Yoko expected. Yoko took the chance to tell Okada about everything that had happened: how Nino assigned them with an impossible task, how shocked they were when they heard the legend from Tokio, how Kokubun told them to search for Sakamoto, how different the fairytale from Sakamoto’s family was from the legend, how Matsumoto cast Nino away from his office, how Ikuta overheard Nino’s conversation with Kokubun in the alley, and how they took the decision to continue the investigation.  
  
During the explanation, Okada stayed silent, merely smiling and nodding his head politely to their questions and refusing to answer anything that was related to Sakurai. He told them that they should ask the questions directly to his housemate though Sakurai probably wouldn’t answer them.  
  
Looking through the window, Yoko wondered what kind of person this Sakurai was, silently thinking that he had to be a weird hermit for choosing to live in such a secluded place up on the mountain.  
  
Meanwhile, Aiba was grateful that they had successfully persuaded Okada to take them. The road was steep and narrow, and Okada took many turns, making the way even more complicated to remember. Aiba inhaled a deep breath and opened his ears, listening to the whispering of the trees. It was nice to see them grow healthy here, to see them live without being affected by the malformations. Closing his eyes, Aiba could feel magic vibrating from the trees. The hotness feeling burned his skin, but it did well in giving energy to the trees. Aiba pondered about who had cast the magic, Okada or Sakurai? It seemed that no one else lived this high.  
  
The sun set, and as the sky grew darker, Yoko expressed his worry about getting down from the mountain. Okada gave an understanding nod, telling them that they were welcome to stay the night. Aiba and Yoko quickly expressed their gratitude.  
  
Yoko calculated the situation in secret. If Sakurai didn’t want to answer their questions that night, Yoko made a plan to try again the next day and then the next, prolonging their stay. Okada’s car was the only transportation to return down the mountain, because they had left their car for Ikuta. Yoko sincerely hoped their hosts were not cruel enough to kick them out of the house in the middle of the night.  
  
The stars had already come out when they were arrived at Okada’s place, a small wooden hut surrounded by barns and farming areas. Okada stepped out of the car, picking up his milk cans in the back. Aiba and Yoko helped him, but Okada made a sign that they should go to the back to the house. They thought it was odd, but one word from Okada made them agree to stop assisting him. “Sakurai.”  
  
Mouthing his thank you, Yoko walked slowly to the direction Okada pointed out, Aiba trailing closely behind.  
  
A man was sitting by the side of the house, stretching his hands above a bonfire. The aroma of roasted mushroom was in the air, making their stomachs rumble with hunger. They hadn’t eaten anything since they left the market. Yoko accidentally stepped on a branch, and the man turned his head. He stood up from his wooden bench, narrowing his eyes. “Who are you?”  
  
“They’re with me.” Okada suddenly showed up behind them. “Nino sent them here.”  
  
Yoko widened his eyes in shock, quickly turning the story down. “No, no, we were not sent here by Nino. He wanted us to find you, that’s correct, but we are here by our own decision.”  
  
Sakurai’s brows furrowed. He was a little taller than Okada. “It makes no different to me. Why did you bring them here?”  
  
Okada shrugged carelessly. He sat near the bonfire. “Because I thought perhaps you wanted to talk to them. You talked to Nino before.”  
  
Sakurai sighed. “Jun, that was years ago.”  
  
“They need to stay the night. It’s already dark,” Okada reminded him.  
  
“Fine,” Sakurai pouted, sitting back on the bench. “Sit down, we’ll talk.”  
  
Okada scooted over, giving Aiba and Yoko a space, and they hurriedly sat before Sakurai changed his mind. Sakurai offered the mushrooms and a glass of milk to each of them. Yoko and Aiba hurriedly inserted the food into their mouth, too hungry to even think about their case. The case could wait until their stomachs were stuffed with warm food.  
  
Sakurai and Okada silently ate beside them. Okada munched his food quietly, eyes wandering to the stars above them, but Sakurai’s eyes never left them, scanning them suspiciously from head to toe, eagerly waiting for them to finish the food.  
  
“So,” Sakurai started the questioning as soon as Aiba drank the last drop of his milk, “what did Nino say to you?”  
  
“Aiba and I work in an investigator office,” Yoko began, staring back at him. Their stomachs were full; it was time to talk about what brought them there. “One day, he came to our workplace, asking us to search for the dragon.”  
  
“Still?” Sakurai chuckled.  
  
 _Still?_  Aiba elbowed Yoko. Yoko nodded, understanding what Aiba meant. Did Nino actually try searching for the dragon before, and they were not his first victims? Did he assign Matsumoto and Sakurai with the same task a long time ago? Was it the reason why Matsumoto was so angry with Nino?  
  
Aiba noticed that the smile didn’t really reach Sakurai’s eyes. If there was anything in his eyes, it was regret.  
  
“Tell me, what have you found out so far?” Sakurai poked the wood with a stick, observing the bonfire.  
  
“We were informed that there were a few versions about the legend, but in all versions, it is said that the dragon’s awakening is related to the earth’s apocalypse, whether he will save us or destroy us,” said Aiba.  
  
Sakurai shook his head. His expression was grim. “Regardless of any version you want to believe, the dragon is not supposed to wake up now. Nino knows that best.”  
  
“Then, why does he want to wake him up?”  
  
Sakurai looked up from the fire, challenging them. “He never says anything about waking up the dragon, does he?”  
  
“Well...” Aiba was lost of words. True, their client never said anything about waking up the dragon, but after gathering the information about the dragon, it only seemed natural for them to think that Nino wanted to wake him up. Otherwise, why would he even bother to search for him? No, no, on second thought, Ikuta told them that Nino already knew where the dragon slept. It was the reason why they went to Sakurai in the first place: to understand Nino’s purpose.  
  
“We overheard him saying that he already knows where the dragon is, but he needs someone to open the place for him.” Aiba raised his head, facing Sakurai once again. “That’s why we came here. That’s what we wanted to ask you. What exactly is Nino trying to do? There must be a reason why he wanted us to find you.”  
  
Sakurai look baffled to hear the information. His expression changed, from annoyed to astonishment. His eyes darted to his housemate’s face, speaking with a careful tone. “That’s unexpected. There is no one who can open the place now; Nino makes sure of that.”  
  
“There must be a reason why he would suddenly do all of this,” Okada stated his opinion quietly.  
  
There was a pause. Aiba and Yoko exchanged glances again, following Sakurai’s movement. Sakurai rubbed his lips, thoughtful. “What do you think?”  
  
“If you and Matsumoto can’t understand what was going on in his mind, how can I?” Okada responded calmly.  
  
“Wait,” Yoko stepped into the conversation, unable to contain his curiosity anymore. “You know Matsumoto too? Why didn’t you tell us about this?” He glared accusingly to Okada.  
  
“It was not my part to explain.”  
  
“But we have already met Matsumoto! Nino went to our place right after he had an argument with Matsumoto!”  
  
Sakurai and Okada exchanged glances.  
  
“I knew you’d be interested to hear their story.” Okada shrugged.  
  
Sakurai stood up, eyes glistening red dangerously. “Don’t lie,” he warned them.  
  
Yoko took a step back, surprised. When he looked again, Sakurai’s eyes had changed back to their previous color, brown. Yoko shook his head; he couldn’t help noticing how the trait was pretty similar to Nino’s, whose eyes often shimmered golden. “It’s not a lie. Sakamoto, one of Matsumoto’s employees told us about it, and Matsumoto didn’t deny it either. It happened several nights ago, when the storm happened.”  
  
Hearing those words, Sakurai’s expression turned wary. “Swear to me on your first name.”  
  
Yoko looked baffled. “I swear! We didn’t lie! That’s what’s truly happened! Why do I have to swear with my first name?”  
  
Sakurai was bewildered. He took a few steps back, putting his hand on his mouth, looking even more troubled. He turned to the fire and kneeled in front of it, surrounding it with his hands. Sakurai closed his eyes and fire grew taller, blazing furiously into the sky, threatening them all with the crackling sounds. Sakurai took his time with the fire as the trees around them shook violently. Aiba could sense how worried they were. What creature was Sakurai?  
  
Meanwhile, Okada still showed no reaction. He sipped his milk carefully from the bench, watching them all with careful eyes. Yoko almost envied his calmness.  
  
After what seemed to be forever, Sakurai opened his eyes. The fire grew smaller again, and the trees finally stopped shaking. He spoke without turning his head from the fire, his tone serious. “Nino never saw Matsumoto after what had happened between us. Matsumoto swore that he would kill him if Nino ever showed his face before him again.”  
  
Okada shook his head. “He can’t. You can’t kill each other.”  
  
“And so we thought.” Sakurai smiled bitterly. “Yet Nino proved that wrong.”  
  
Yoko came towards Sakurai, asking aggressively, “Did Nino kill someone? You said that he made sure no one can open the place where the dragon slept, and then you said he killed someone. Does it mean he killed the person who was supposed to open the place? Tell us, what is actually going on here? What happened between you?”  
  
Sakurai rose up, allowing himself a little solemn smile. He put his hands on Yoko’s shoulders, holding him in his place. Aiba could almost see his mixed feelings. Half of Sakurai seemed to want to tell them the truth, while the other half wanted to keep the secret to his grave. When he opened his mouth, he stared right into Yoko’s eyes.  
  
“This is not something that you should be concerned about. The fate that intertwines us —  Matsumoto, Nino, and myself — is not a story that can be told in a night. It’s not a legend, it’s not a fairytale, it truly happened, and it certainly doesn’t end happily. Those of us who are involved wish to run away from it, as there is only misfortune that awaits us. Go home, and let me handle Nino. I don’t want to involve commoners in this situation for it’s a past beyond your level of understanding.”  
  
Yoko was in a state of shock. This was not the kind of answer he had been expecting. Sure, he knew that the legend of the sleeping dragon was ‘beyond their level of understanding’, but somehow, he didn’t like the way Sakurai said it. There was kindness in Sakurai’s eyes, but his tone was firm. Sakurai was not used to being opposed, and he certainly wouldn’t like his advice to be refused. Yoko looked up at Aiba, pleading for help. After all, Aiba was the one who insisted that they should continue the investigation.  
  
Aiba pushed Sakurai from Yoko, taking his friend back. “You may not want to involve us, but Nino already did! He involved us in whatever fate you shared together the night he came to ask for our help. He involved us more by leading us to Matsumoto and you! We have the right to know what happens. Please,” Aiba grabbed Sakurai’s hands, “you can’t just leave us clueless like this.”  
  
It was Sakurai’s turn to look perplexed.  
  
“They are right,” Okada pointed out quietly. “Nino knows he was not supposed to involve ordinary people in your fate. There must be a reason behind his actions.”  
  
Sakurai sighed heavily. “Sometimes I think Nino doesn’t need a reason to act outside of the rules.”  
  
“Still, you don’t think he did what Matsumoto accused him of doing.”  
  
“We have been together for such a long time that I want to believe him.” Sakurai turned his back, waving a hand at the fire. It died, leaving the burnt smell behind. “However, there are times when I believe Matsumoto was right, and I think too highly of Nino.”  
  
Okada nodded. “Perhaps this is the time to find out the truth.”  
  
Sakurai considered Okada’s advice carefully. He suddenly turned his back, walking to the house. “Let me think about it first. Take care of our guests for me.”  
  
Aiba was about to call out to him, but Okada patted their back, leading them to the house. “Come. The problem has been going on for too many years; postponing it for a night won’t affect anything. You need to rest now.”  
  
  
  
  


**XIII**

  
Okada gave them his bedroom, telling them that he would sleep in Sakurai’s room for the night. He passed them some clean pajamas and folded blankets and wished them goodnight, smiling calmly the entire time.  
  
As soon as he left, Yoko sat on the chair. There was only one bed as Yoko didn’t need one. He took his lamp out of the bag harshly, not even bothering to take off his clothes. “Turn off the candle, will you?”  
  
Aiba didn’t move. He stood by the window, staring blankly at the blankets. Absent-mindedly, he asked, “Yoko, do you think we really should stop investigating this case? Our client tricked us, so we don’t have to solve the case, right?”  
  
“It’s too late now!” Yoko suddenly sat up. His lamp fell to the floor, clanking loudly. “I told you that we should’ve stopped before, but you didn’t want to listen! Now we’re stuck here, treated like kids by a stranger!”  
  
Aiba was startled to see his friend’s unexpected reaction. “Yoko...”  
  
Yoko went on as if he had been waiting a long time to vent his frustration. “I told you that we should’ve backed out when we had the chance! You are the one who refused to give up!”  
  
“Yoko...” Aiba widened his eyes. “I thought you agreed to do this. I thought we made the decision together.”  
  
“Do I have a choice? It’s two against one!”  
  
“B-but you agreed with what Ikuta said. I remember that all of us had the same opinion. We want to know what we are actually being used for.”  
  
Yoko groaned hoarsely. He picked up his lamp, cleaning it out nervously. “I-I just...I don’t know. Can we not talk about this now? I’m tired, and I want to sleep. Please, Aiba, let’s talk about this again tomorrow.”  
  
“Okay.”  
  
“Good.” Yoko turned his back to Aiba, changing into his real form and entered his lamp, closing its cap. “Night.”  
  
“Night,” Aiba mumbled, changing his clothes into the pajamas Okada brought them. It was a little bit too short for him, but Aiba didn’t really pay attention as his mind was preoccupied with the words his friend had just said. Aiba took a deep sigh. He was such a bad friend. How could he not realize how Yoko had been feeling all along? Aiba scolded himself. He grabbed Yoko’s lamp, putting it on the bedside table beside the candle. He thought for a while, blowing the candle out before whispering, “I’m sorry.”  
  
  
  
  


**XIV**

  
In the next city over, Ikuta was sleeping uneasily in his bed.  
  
He was in the forest, sitting on a rock. The lights shimmered golden. There was someone with him. He felt his mouth move on its own, murmuring some words. “Are you sure?”  
  
“Yes,” that someone nodded his head firmly, “please.”  
  
The scene changed, and he saw a short man smiling gently at him. There were tears in the corner of his eyes. “Take care of him for me, will you? Take care of everyone for me.”  
  
The world shook violently, and the trees around him started to fall. The earth opened, and water started to surround his legs, trapping him, lifting him up and swirling him around, twisting his body. He opened his ears and heard a low growl, frustrated and mad. He closed his eyes; golden colors were playing in his eyelids.  
  
He was in a field, and there were others beside him, running with him. A chuckle, a shout, someone clapping, someone hugged him from behind, wind sweeping through him, and he threw his head back, laughing.  
  
There was a fire. Blazing, burning, drying the water from him. There was someone calling out to him, calling him to consciousness. There were tears in his face, but they were not his own.  
  
The sky is crying, he thought as he looked above.  
  
The earth is dying, he thought as he looked below.  
  
There was a flash of wings, a sphere shone brightly, and playing cards were thrown into the air. The sphere changed into a violet dragon, curling his body in a cave, sleeping soundlessly.  
  
He was sitting in a corner, surrounded by several people who were drunk. Someone smiled at him, “Do you want to join the game?”  
  
He was walking down the street, taking a glance at a stranger. Inocchi.  
  
There was someone laughing in his ears. “We will be together forever, won’t we?”  
  
There were colors. Red, blue, green, golden, swirling and twisting in his head.  
  
He looked below, and the ground started shaking again. The short man was standing in the distance, shaking his head in disappointment. “You’ve failed me.”  
  
He ran towards the man, but the earth was falling apart, and he lost his grip, falling into the darkness, screaming. Nino’s voice echoed in his ears. “You are one of mine.”  
  
Ikuta opened his eyes, coming around from the nightmare.  
  
  
  
  


**XV**

  
Aiba woke up with eyes wide open, his fingers unconsciously clutching the sheets. He panted heavily, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He knew he just had a nightmare, but he couldn’t remember what it was about. There was Nino, throwing cards into thin air. There was Inocchi, congratulating him for joining his office. There were trees, bowing down to him, whispering their secrets. There were colors. Green and brown and orange spinning inside his head. Yellow and blue and red clashed into each other. There was white, there was fog, there was a dragon sleeping.  
  
Aiba crossed his hands. Just like all dreams, the longer he was awake and the more he thought about it, the hazier the dream became.  
  
He looked at the bedside table, listening to the snores coming from the lamp. Curious, he opened the cap and took a peek inside. Yoko was still sleeping peacefully, curled at the bottom. Aiba smiled. Yoko had to be exhausted. He didn’t like having people watching him sleep when he felt the most vulnerable, but he once said that Aiba was an exception. Yoko was such a good friend, Aiba thought as he gripped his shirt, feeling another tingle of guilt for dragging Yoko along.  
  
He stood up to search for the door. Trying to sleep again when he felt like this was useless.  
  
The door creaked, and Aiba jumped a little, but Yoko continued snoring. Aiba sighed. He slipped out of the room and started walking towards the front door, trying to be as quiet as he could manage.  
  
When he was finally standing below the moon, Aiba took a deep breath. Being outdoors and listening to the sound of the trees calmed him down a bit, as it always did. A smile was plastered on his face as he walked towards the woods, ready to greet the trees. However, he stopped when he heard sounds of people talking from the back of the house. It had to be his hosts as there was no one else around the area.  
  
For a moment, Aiba was tormented between eavesdropping on their conversation or heading to the trees as he originally planned; then he thought of Yoko and decided to change the direction. Yoko was right. It was time for them to say enough with the secret. They had the right to get at least a glimpse of truth.  
  
It was their hosts indeed, busy talking near the leftover bonfire. He hid in the corner, listening carefully to what Okada and Sakurai were saying, his heart beating faster.  
  
“...But it doesn’t make any sense!” Sakurai shouted furiously. He was walking in a circle, looking genuinely confused. “He was gone! No one can open the place anymore!”  
  
Okada bit his lip. “Have you ever thought that Nino didn’t kill him?”  
  
Sakurai turned his face to Okada. “I want to think so, but we couldn’t sense him anymore. One moment, we could still feel the flicker of his life, and the next second, he was gone. Time passed, and I have never sensed him again. What else could it mean? Even after such a long time I could still hear how the earth roared, could still feel how the ground was shaking furiously. When we arrived, we only found Nino kneeling on the ground, covering his bleeding eye socket. Something obviously happened there, and Nino refused to explain it.” Sakurai shuddered. “’He was gone. I made him gone’ was all he said. You were not there to see the way Nino smirked. He laughed as if he had lost his sanity. The day when we decided to go our separate ways was the worst day of my long life. We never had a fight before. I always thought we would be together forever.”  
  
Aiba absorbed it all in a silence. Whatever the past was, as Sakurai had mentioned before, everyone who was involved still suffered from it. Aiba shuddered. What had he dragged himself into? What had he dragged his friends into?  
  
Okada stood up, putting his arm on Sakurai’s shoulder. “You know this condition could not go on any longer. Two can’t replace four. The earth is dying.”  
  
Sakurai sighed, setting his mouth into a grim line. “I know, but what can I do? On one side, Jun would never forgive Nino. On the other side, Nino refused to tell me what had happened. I made a decision not to choose anyone’s side, and it is that balance that has been keeping us alive all along. I can’t risk throwing the balance off.”  
  
“If you don’t choose now, the earth will die. If you choose, there’s a possibility that the earth can be saved. The Nino you told me about always has a plan in mind.”  
  
Sakurai turned his head. His face was still and hard. “What if I choose the wrong side? I’m not sure I can take that burden.”  
  
“If Nino wants to destroy the earth, he’s been able to do that easily since a long time ago. He told them that he needs someone to open the place to the dragon, and you and I both know that there is only one person who is able to open it. You think he has died, yet Nino still hopes that he can reach out for the dragon.” Okada chose his words carefully. “Judging from his actions, I believe that he actually still lives.”  
  
“There’s also a possibility that Nino has gone mad, just like Jun had always said. Each of us was assigned with one task and one task only. Doing two at once must have driven him insane.”  
  
“It is possible, yes, but everything that you have told me was built on assumptions. You could be wrong.”  
  
“Nino is the only one who knows the truth.”  
  
“Then it’s time to ask him about what actually happened.”  
  
Sakurai raised his voice slightly. “Do you think I never tried? No matter how many times I asked him, he wouldn’t explain it to me.”  
  
Okada shrugged. “I think it will be different this time. He never wanted to open the forbidden place before.”  
  
Sakurai groaned, burying his face in his hands.  
  
Okada went on, laying a soft hand on Sakurai’s hand. “Remember what the old proverb says: All things will be all right in the end. If it’s not, then it’s not the end.”  
  
Sakurai’s voice was beginning to sound hopeful. “Do you think I should try asking him again?”  
  
“You can’t run away from this problem forever.”  
  
Sakurai let out a chuckle. “I’ve been running away so long, so long that I forget I’m still running away.” His hand reached for Okada, touching his cheek gently. “Will you help me do this?”  
  
“Yes.” Okada smiled. He spread out his arms to hug Sakurai tightly. “Do this for the earth you love so much. Do this for me. Do this so we can live longer together.”  
  
Sakurai returned the hug, grabbing Okada even tighter. “I won’t be able to survive without you. Thank you. For everything.”  
  
“No. Thank you for accompanying me to be a farmer.”  
  
Sakurai let go of his arms, laughing. “This is not as bad as I imagine, but the sheep stink.”  
  
Okada laughed as well. “You were speechless when I first told you that I want to own a farm.”  
  
“Did I? It happened such a long time ago.” Sakurai turned his body around, preparing to go back to the house. Aiba quickly tried to hide himself, but it was too late; Sakurai and Okada had already caught up to him. They stopped dead.  
  
Aiba stepped forward, offering them a nervous smile to hide his embarrassment. “I don’t mean to eavesdrop...I just want to go the forest and accidentally heard you speaking, so...”  
  
“I’ve made a decision,” Sakurai cut him off. “We’ll go with you downtown tomorrow.”  
  
“Eh?”  
  
“Nino is there. There’s something I need to ask him.”  
  
  
  
  


**XVI**

  
It was a cloudy afternoon when Ikuta suddenly bumped into Matsumoto in the street. The sky was grey, and the sun hadn’t been out seen since the morning. It was a good thing to have rain, but the weather looked unusual in Ikuta’s eyes. The sky looked like it was waiting for something to spill its water out, Ikuta thought bitterly. If it truly rained, he got a feeling that they would get another storm just like the one they had a few days ago, that very day when they first met Nino.  
  
Ikuta paused to think about the dream he had the night before. Something told him that the dream was related to what Nino had done to him. After all, in the dream, he heard Nino’s voice once again, claiming that he was his. Ikuta shook his head and kept on walking.  
  
He was about to get inside his car when he heard someone call his name from across the street. He turned around and saw Matsumoto walking towards him in surprisingly simply everyday clothes. As he stood up before Ikuta, Matsumoto stopped. He smiled nervously, but his eyes were looking down to his feet. “I’m sorry about yesterday.”  
  
Ikuta licked his lips. “It’s okay.”  
  
Matsumoto had kindly dropped him off at his apartment yesterday after he refused to talk more about Nino. Both of them were silent on the drive, too absorbed in their own thoughts. Matsumoto had been lost in his past, while Ikuta couldn’t stop wondering about the oath that Nino had broken. The act that started a cold war between him and Matsumoto, leading them all to the ending of the earth. What kind of mistake was so grievous that it could not be undone?  
  
Ikuta returned his attention back to the present. He took a glance at the man in front of him. Matsumoto was looking at the sky above; his mouth was shaped into a grim line. He looked more tired than yesterday. Ikuta tilted his head, observing Matsumoto’s darker eye bags and messy hair, suddenly feeling lucky because at least he could sleep for a few hours despite the nightmare. Matsumoto looked like he had spent his night drinking all the alcohol in his house.  
  
“There was a coffee shop I often go to not far from here.” Ikuta took the liberty to invite Matsumoto, seeing how the man hadn’t moved his feet after saying his sorry. “Do you want to come?”  
  
Matsumoto wiped his face. “Okay.”  
  
Ikuta led them down the street, unconsciously looking at Matsumoto with the corner of his eyes, making sure that he followed him. Ikuta opened his hands and felt a few drops of water. He observed the clouds. Finally, the rain started.  
  
They arrived in front of the coffee shop, and Ikuta opened the door, greeting Morita and Miyake as he took a seat in the bar. It felt nice coming back to a place he knew so well as if none of the case had ever happened.  
  
“Oi!” Miyake greeted him. Morita merely diverted his attention from his dishes for a moment to acknowledge Ikuta’s arrival.  
  
Matsumoto took a seat next to him. His expression turned even gloomier.  
  
“Guys, this is a friend of mine, Matsumoto. Matsumoto, this is Morita and Miyake, the owners of this shop.”  
  
Matsumoto shook their hands. “I think I need your strongest coffee.”  
  
Miyake nodded. His eyes found Ikuta’s, and Ikuta shook his head a little, trying not to be seen by Matsumoto.  _Don’t ask, long story._  
  
Miyake smiled understandingly. “Coming, sir.”  
  
Morita raised his head up, looking at the street. “It’s raining.”  
  
Miyake grabbed a handful of coffee beans, replying absent-mindedly as he started to measure the beans. “About time, isn’t it?”  
  
Ikuta turned his head, paying attention to the window as well. The rain was getting heavier. Water plummeted from the sky without giving time for people outside to prepare themselves. Seeing how it hit the window, Ikuta remembered his dream. He couldn’t help but commenting, “The sky is crying.”  
  
Miyake let out a small chuckle at those words. “Why do you think the sky is crying?”  
  
“Because the earth is dying,” Ikuta answered heavily.  
  
“No,” Matsumoto shook his head. Ikuta gulped when he saw there were tears in Matsumoto’s eyes.  
  
“The earth has already died. We merely borrow the time to prolong our stay, but the due date is coming soon.”  
  
The three men were left speechless. Ikuta wanted to reject the idea, but he decided otherwise as he saw Matsumoto’s eyes. There was some undeniable persistence in them. Loneliness, anger, regret, sadness, all mixed into one. His eyes changed back into blue, and with every tear that dropped, the sky outside let droplets of water fall in rhythm. Ikuta unconsciously spread his arms out to reach Matsumoto. Even when he was crying and looked troubled, Matsumoto still looked beautiful.  
  
Before he was able to touch the man in front of him, the door suddenly banged open with a loud crash, and a man hurriedly entered the shop, soaked from head to toe. He took his hat off and squeezed it, watering the doormat.  
  
“Oi, don’t wet it! Squeeze your hat somewhere else!” Miyake yelled his protests.  
  
“Sorry, sorry!” The man bowed down, rubbing his head. He lifted his head up, and all of a sudden, he shrieked, “Ikuta!”  
  
Before Ikuta could react, the man who called out to him suddenly flung his arms around him, knocking Matsumoto on his way towards him. With the corner of his eyes, Ikuta saw how Matsumoto quickly turned his head, trying to hide his tears. However, the man who hugged him didn’t seem to notice it.  
  
Ikuta pushed the man back to see his face better, making sure that he identified the right person. “Inocchi?”  
  
Ikuta was right; it was his boss who had been missing for a couple of weeks. Inocchi grinned widely, looking genuinely happy to see him. He pulled back, his pointed ears twitching a little. “There you are! I went to the office, but there’s no one there! I miss you all. Why didn’t you greet your boss when he’s back home?” Inocchi pretended to look hurt for a second, but soon he was all smiles again. He took the chair beside Ikuta’s. “Miyake, the usual, please!”  
  
Morita shook his head, stopping his movement with the dishes. A smile escaped his lips. “Where have you been? We haven’t seen you in the longest time!”  
  
“Do you miss me? Do you miss me?” Inocchi’s grin was getting wider. Dropping his wet coat down carelessly onto the floor, he shook Morita and Miyake’s hand firmly before he swung his head to face his sub-ordinate again. “Ikuta, where are Yoko and Aiba? I need to show them something.”  
  
“Long story! More importantly, where have you been? So many things have happened since you left!”  
  
“Oh, it is related to a case?” Inocchi raised up the coffee that Miyake put on his table, inhaling the aroma deeply. He gave Miyake two thumbs up. “Yours is still the most magical coffee in the realm!”  
  
Miyake grinned sheepishly, giving back a thumbs up. “Of course it is!” He tilted his head to one side, pointing out a big golden tube that was slung on Inocchi’s back. “What is that on your back, Inocchi?”  
  
“Oh,” Inocchi looked to his back, grabbing the tube and laying it down in front of him. He opened the lid with huge excitement, pulling out a big papyrus scroll from it while grinning like a kid who just got a birthday present. “It’s my certificate! This is what I wanted to show you!”  
  
“Certificate? Certificate for what? Why do you need a certificate?”  
  
Inocchi spread the scroll on the bar table, and the rest of them – save for Matsumoto – leaned their bodies forward in order to read it better. The certificate was written in curly script that was hard to understand. Ikuta tilted his head, reading it aloud with much difficulty. “In-ves-ti-ga-tor Cer-ti-fi-ca-te.”  
  
“Investigator certificate?” Morita and Miyake echoed together, lifting their eyes up to demand an explanation.  
  
Inocchi didn’t seem to notice all the confusion that reflected in his friends and subordinate’s eyes. He patted Ikuta’s back cheerfully, and another hand reached for Miyake’s shoulder. “Yes, I am now officially an investigator after finishing school! Our office can get a license now! Isn’t that great?”  
  
Ikuta looked at his boss with amazed expression. “Do you mean that all this time our office hasn’t been official?” Though it was rather hard to believe, it explained why their office didn’t have a nameplate. It would also explain why Inocchi often went missing; it turned out that he went to school in secret. It had to be difficult, juggling school and work at the same time. Ikuta was impressed that Inocchi kept his hardships from them.  
  
Inocchi coughed. “We don’t have to mention the past. The most important thing is now I have finally graduated from the school and become an official investigator!”  
  
Morita shook his head while Miyake laughed out loud hearing Inocchi’s proud confession. “Well, congratulations, I guess.”  
  
“Congratulations.” Ikuta gave him his most genuine smile. “Why didn’t you tell us about the school before? We could have supported you better if we knew!”  
  
“Well,” Inocchi rubbed his head, grinning sheepishly, “It doesn’t matter really. You need to take care of the office.” While he spoke, Ikuta noticed how his attention was slowly but surely sidetracked. He took a peek behind Ikuta’s back, taking a sudden interest to Matsumoto. “And who’s your friend here? Why don’t you introduce us...Woah!” Inocchi suddenly let out a loud shout.  
  
Ikuta was pushed back as his boss moved forward to take a closer look at Matsumoto, who hastily wiped his tears, turning his gaze away to the window. The rain had tapered off to a light drizzle.  
  
Inocchi touched Matsumoto’s arm, his eyes never left Matsumoto’s face. “I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as you are.”  
  
Morita snickered, Ikuta choked, and Miyake quickly pulled Inocchi’s shirt. “That’s seriously the worst pick-up line I’ve ever heard.”  
  
“I don’t mean it that way!” Inocchi defended. His ears turned red. “But, Ikuta’s friend here is glowing! He’s so precious. I don’t lie! I mean, you are precious too, Ikuta, of course, but your friend here is different.”  
  
So Ikuta was not the only one who thought Matsumoto was beautiful. His boss also thought the same way. Ikuta coughed, not knowing how he was supposed to feel about it.  
  
Matsumoto was smiling politely at Inocchi’s praises. He raised one of his eyebrows at Ikuta, and Ikuta answered the unspoken question. “Matsumoto, this is my boss, Inocchi. He’s the one who owns our investigative office.”  
  
Inocchi grabbed Matsumoto’s hands without being offered, shaking them excitedly. “And you are...?”  
  
“I own the aquarium in the next town over.”  
  
“Oh!” Inocchi widened his eyes. “Sakamoto’s new boss? How’s Sakamoto doing?”  
  
“Wait,” Ikuta grabbed Inocchi’s shoulder, “you know Sakamoto too?”  
  
“There’s no magical creature around here that I don’t know!” Inocchi smiled proudly. “Then no wonder you are so glowing! So, tell me, how do you know each other?”  
  
“Matsumoto is related to our case,” Ikuta answered halfheartedly. For some reason, he didn’t want to define Matsumoto as someone whom he met because of an investigation.  
  
“Oh, what case?”  
  
“Well...”  
  
Matsumoto suddenly cut him off in a dignified voice. “Nino came to see me again this morning.”  
  
Numbly surprised, Ikuta blurted out. “What did he want?”  
  
“Nothing.” Matsumoto clenched his teeth. His hands gripped his pants nervously. “He just sat outside my window, reminiscing something. When I spotted him, I asked him to go, but he merely smiled. He threw his cards at me, saying that it is going to be over soon.”  
  
“What’s going to be over soon?”  
  
“What else?” Matsumoto shrugged, sounding distressed. “I only came here to tell you this. I need to go now.”  
  
With those last words, Matsumoto laid down some money on the bar table and walked towards the door. Miyake rushed to offer him an umbrella, but Matsumoto refused it. He opened the door and looked above; his eyes were closed as if welcoming the water to soak his body. On second thought, of course Matsumoto would gladly let the water touch him. It must feel like coming home, Ikuta wondered. Matsumoto turned, bowing his head politely before heading out into the storm.  
  
Watching his lonely back, Ikuta felt an unexplainable feeling of pity.  
  
Inocchi approached him, expressing his concern. “What happened?”  
  
Ikuta sighed. There were so many things he needed to explain to Inocchi. He was about to close the door when he suddenly heard another familiar voice calling him. Ikuta turned his head and spotted Aiba and Yoko, both trembling under the drizzle. A stranger was seen behind them.  
  



	4. Chapter 4

****

**XVII**

  
The small coffee shop was crowded that night. Morita put the sign ‘CLOSED’ as they all gathered the tables beside the windows, listening attentively to the development of their new case. Morita and Miyake were both in a state of shock and kept on asking them about the truth of the story they were being told, afraid that they have been fooled. Ikuta couldn’t help but noticing how similar their reaction were to his, a month ago. Time passed away faster than he ever imagined, and ironically, Morita and Miyake were the ones who were forced to believe how true the case was at this moment.  
  
Meanwhile, Inocchi sat at the end of the table, crossing his arms tightly. No word left his mouth as he opened his ears, listening attentively to every word they spoke. Observing their responses, Ikuta was finally certain that the case they were currently handling truly didn’t happen often.  
  
After retelling the beginning of the case and how their client had tricked them, it was the time to say what happened during the three days when they decided to go separate ways.  
  
Aiba and Yoko introduced the stranger who came with them as Okada, Sakurai’s housemate. They explained that Sakurai waited at the border of the town, unable to step inside because both Matsumoto and Nino would be alarmed once he put his foot in the South District. He put Okada in his place instead, though Okada didn’t say much. He just sat there sipping his coffee, nodding his head to back his co-workers’ statements up.  
  
Apparently, Sakurai wanted to talk to their client as they still had unfinished business involving a friend’s death many, many years ago. Ikuta was also informed about how the fight between Nino and Matsumoto started on that unfortunate day, causing Matsumoto to swear to kill Nino if he ever saw him again.  
  
After they finished, it was Ikuta’s turn to recap what Matsumoto had told him. He could almost hear Matsumoto’s words once again in his ears.  
  
“We were perfect, we were perfect together and he ruined it all. He betrayed us, sacrificed all of us for his own good. He broke our oath, the most powerful oath ever taken, to gain more power for himself, and now, he can’t even control it.”  
  
Whatever it was that Nino did, Matsumoto couldn’t forgive him. Yet Sakurai seemed to believe that Nino was not guilty. Too many years had passed in vain in confusion. It appeared that Nino had changed his mind, he wanted to end the problem. ‘It is going to be over soon’ were the words Nino had said to Matsumoto. What was going to be over? The fight or the earth? Or probably both? The fate had been rolled. It was either the ending, or the beginning.  
  
“I think I have met this Nino once.”  
  
All heads were turned to the direction of the voice.  
  
Inocchi cleared his throat, licking his lips nervously as every eye in the room was fixed on him, looking at him weirdly.  
  
“When?” Yoko demanded the answer.  
  
“Before I went to take the exam. If I picture your descriptions of him correctly.” Inocchi explained, his fingers tapped the table. He chose his words carefully, trying to remember what exactly happened.  
  
“Where?” Yoko asked, the same time as Ikuta inquired about the same thing. “What did he want?”  
  
“In Tokio.” Inocchi replied. “We had a card game.”  
  
Ikuta found his curiosity piqued further. A flash of an image from the dream he had apperead up in his mind — an image of someone who was sitting in the corner. With a wide smile, someone else approached the man, asking him to join a card game. The picture strangely fit with Inocchi’s story. Ikuta tried hard to hide his confusion away; it was not the moment to show his doubt. It was probably just an unfortunate coincidence. There were more important things to discuss than his odd dream: Inocchi and Nino’s meeting.  
  
Ikuta coughed. “What did you talk about?”  
  
“Just ordinary talk. What’s our name, where do we live, what’s our job... You know, the sort of thing men talk about in a card game.” Inocchi said, his eyes wandering elsewhere as if to recall the night again. “I remember that he was also glowing. He was a pretty little thing, though I couldn’t see him clearly because his face was hidden below his hood. He said that he is a traveling magician. I remembered asking him why he couldn’t take his hood off and he told me that he was not supposed to be seen there. He said someone promised to kill him if he ever sees him.”  
  
Yoko squinted his eyes. “That had to be Matsumoto.”  
  
Aiba put his finger on his lips. “Shush, I want to hear the rest. What happened after that, Inocchi?”  
  
“He asked me about my job and I told him that I run an investigation office. I can’t really remember it because I was a little drunk that night, but he wasn’t really paying attention to me either. He looked tired and bored, mind you, and he probably just listened to me because there was nothing else he could listen to.”  
  
“Was that all?” Ikuta asked, looking unimpressed. He couldn’t get the image of his dream out of his mind.  
  
“No.” Inocchi shook his head. “I think his attention increased when I talked about all of you.”  
  
“Us?” Morita raised his eyebrows.  
  
“No, no.” Inocchi looked around. “I told him about how I could see how powerful someone is by their glow, and how I have three subordinates that I scouted from the streets. I told him how I found all of you. Aiba, when you were at the forest, talking with the trees. Yoko, when I accidentally found your lamp and you stopped me from cleaning it. Ikuta, when I saw you walking down the street, leaving a trail of glitter behind you.”  
  
Everyone in the room was taken aback with the brand new information. Even Okada put his hand on his mouth, looking genuinely confused.  
  
“That’s unexpected.” Ikuta finally responded. “Does it mean that he is interested in us?”  
  
“He surely changed his attitude at that time.” Inocchi shrugged, biting his lip carefully. “I thought he was interested in people the same way I did. We ended up talking about you guys.”  
  
“Damn it!” Yoko punched the table, causing the cups on it to jump. Miyake swiftly moved the cups away, preventing Yoko from damaging anything.  
  
Yoko stood up, putting both hands on each side of the table. “He already knew about us before he went to our place. What was it that he wanted with us?”  
  
“He didn’t look like a killer.” Inocchi crossed his arms again. “At the beginning of the game, he carried himself like a dead person. He sat in the corner, shuffling his cards alone. He watched the passerby sharply, but his eye was empty. There was nothing reflected in his eye and I took pity of him. I invited him to my game and he complied, allowing himself a little sad smile. I could see that he was grieving but I didn’t dare ask what it was that he had lost.” Inocchi paused momentarily. “His eye immediately glowed when he heard my story and he stood up all of a sudden, claiming that he had a business to take care of. I was so glad that he looked lively again.”  
  
“Inocchi,” Ikuta couldn’t help but commenting. “You are too nice.”  
  
“There was nothing wrong with trusting people.” Aiba backed Inocchi up. “We won’t be here if Inocchi didn’t trust his judgment about us. I believe that what Inocchi said was right. Nino is not a murderer.”  
  
“Aiba,” Yoko scrunched up his nose. “You are also too nice.”  
  
“I just have this feeling, Yoko, that our client is actually a nice man.” Aiba said breathlessly. “I’ve decided to trust that feeling.”  
  
“He’s right.” Inocchi put his arm on Aiba’s shoulder. “It’s a good thing to trust your instinct.”  
  
Yoko and Ikuta looked at each other, at a loss for anything to say. Inocchi and Aiba’s weaknesses were also their good points, after all.  
  
“What do you want to do next?” Okada broke the silence.  
  
Yoko shook his head. “I don’t know.”  
  
“I know Nino’s companion. They went home together from Tokio.”  
  
All heads were turned to Inocchi’s direction for the second time that night.  
  
“I thought you said that Nino was alone.” Yoko said accusingly.  
  
“I said that he sat in the corner alone with his cards, but his friend was sitting in the bar all along, drinking while watching Nino from afar. When Nino decided to go home, he called him out and they went out together. You’ll be glad to meet him, Ikuta. He was a full blood fairy so you could see how your ancestor truly looked like!”  
  
“Wait, Inocchi,” Ikuta said, “I don’t follow you. Even though you know what he looked like, how are you planning to find him?”  
  
Hearing that question, Inocchi grinned widely. “Everyone is different, especially the glow of a fairy. I could pick up his trail again if I want to.”  
  
  
  
  


**XVIII**

  
Morita and Miyake decided to stay in their shop while Okada needed to go back to Sakurai’s place to report the new development, so in the end, it was only four of them who went to search for this friend’s whereabouts.  
  
Inocchi asked Yoko to drive but Yoko refused, politely asking Aiba to replace him. As they sat inside, Ikuta realized something. Yoko hadn’t directly talked to Aiba. He sat at the back seat, looking at the window outside with gloomy expression. Inocchi seemed to notice it too but decided not to say anything. He tossed the keys to Aiba and positioned himself in the front seat, giving his instruction from Aiba’s side.  
  
Ikuta noticed halfway that they were heading to Tokio’s forest. Aiba drove less violently as Inocchi had memorized the way perfectly, calmly pointing out at the turn they needed to take. As they arrived in front of the tree, Inocchi stepped out of the car, striding through the woods. Turning his head to them, he declared. “He was here recently, but alone.”  
  
“Who was?”  
  
Ikuta looked around to find where the voice came from but there was no one but them.  
  
“Oi, I’m here! Look below!”  
  
Inocchi spread out his hand, signaling them to be quiet. He walked to one end of the root and the rest of them followed. Inocchi dropped to his knees; his hands were securely placed at both sides of the root. “Hello, long time no see.”  
  
Ikuta squint his eyes. He finally saw who Inocchi talked to. Nagase was sitting at the root, munching on something. It was quite funny to see him small when he was taller than Ikuta the last time they met.  
  
Nagase didn’t stop chewing upon their scrutiny. He was holding a huge pile of roasted meat on a stick. He grinned upon hearing Inocchi’s greetings. “Where have you been, Inocchi? Your boys were here the other day, asking about the dragon.”  
  
“Well,” Inocchi replied the smile. “I’m back now. Thank you for your kind help to them.”  
  
Yoko kneeled down beside their boss, Aiba to his next, and Ikuta at the end. Yoko scooted closer to Inocchi. Ikuta tried not to look at Aiba’s hurt expression. It had to be a weird sight for strangers, Ikuta thought, four grown men squatting on the ground circling a tree root.  
  
“What are you doing here?” he asked Nagase.  
  
“Eating, of course! A gnome must eat, even if the world stops spinning tomorrow! Don’t waste a good meat!” Nagase gnarled, taking another bite of his food. Ikuta just shrugged, Nagase looked less intimidating when he was smaller.  
  
“On the contrary,” Nagase waved his finger at them. “Why are you here? The bar is not yet opened.”  
  
Inocchi pinched a bite from Nagase’s meat. “We are looking for someone.”  
  
“I want his shirt for that.” Nagase pointed out at Ikuta’s shirt. “This big, it will do well as our new curtain.”  
  
“Done.” Yoko replied. “But no drinking. I need a sharp mind to search for this person.”  
  
“What?” Ikuta was bewildered. “Why me?”  
  
“Shh, Ikuta.” Yoko widened his eyes. “Do you want to find this fairy or not?”  
  
“I want to, but...”  
  
“Done!” Nagase guffawed. “So who is this fairy you seek?”  
  
“Do you remember the last time I was here, when I played cards with a bunch of people?” Inocchi began their investigation carefully, choosing a neutral first question.  
  
“Hmm....” Nagase rubbed his chin. “I guess so.”  
  
“Well, one of them left early. He was wearing an eye patch and covered his head with a hoodie.”  
  
“I may have seen someone that matches your description, yes.” Nagase took another bite, still looking calm.  
  
“When he was about to leave, he called out for someone who had been sitting in the bar the whole time, drinking.”  
  
“Ah!” Nagase clapped his hands. “Yes, I remember that pretty fairy. He constantly looked at your group while drinking. It was quite interesting to watch him.”  
  
Ikuta felt his excitement building up. “Do you know where he comes from?”  
  
“Come to think of it, he was here the day you guys came and asked about the dragon.” Nagase replied dryly. “Watching us from afar. I thought it was weird and I wanted to shove him away, but he didn’t really do anything wrong. So I just let him be. I thought perhaps studying other people from several feet away was a part of his drinking habit.”  
  
Ikuta lifted his head up to meet his co-workers’ stunned expression. That was certainly unexpected.  
  
“He could be present to make sure Kokubun did what Nino asked him to do.” Aiba voiced out their opinions out loud.  
  
Ikuta shook his head. Whatever Nino planned, he certainly made sure that everything was going on based on those plans. Ikuta wondered if he currently placed a spy near them too or if Nagase was asked to wait for them in front of the bar, ready to give them the answer they wanted. Still, they had no choice but to follow Nino’s instruction at this moment. It was the only way to discover the mystery. Ikuta smiled bitterly, he couldn’t wait to hold their small client in his hands.  
  
“Kokubun? What’s wrong with him?” Nagase tilted his head, chewing another piece of meat. He looked utterly clueless.  
  
“Never mind that.” Inocchi quickly put a smile on his face, easing Nagase. “Do you have any idea where his house is?”  
  
Nagase’s expression stiffened. He seemed to be thinking carefully. “I remembered that we had a conversation about his place once. He accidentally slipped out that he lived up in the North.”  
  
“In the North district?” Aiba piped up.  
  
“Yep.” Nagase pointed at the left direction from where he was sitting. “There.”  
  
Yoko quickly stood up. “Well, what are we waiting for? We need to head to that direction.”  
  
Inocchi followed his suit, saluting the gnome before walking back to the car. “Thank you, Nagase.”  
  
“Oi! The shirt!” Nagase jumped up, trying to reach for Ikuta’s shirt, but it was far too high for him as Ikuta had stood up.  
  
“You didn’t say that I need to hand it in today.” Ikuta said in a-matter-of-fact tone, abusing his current superiority in size. “I need it tonight.”  
  
Aiba giggled. He pushed Ikuta to the car, encouraging him to leave Nagase behind. “You’ll get your curtain later, Nagase! Thank you for the info!”  
  
Nagase pouted. He tried to chase them but they quickly closed the car’s doors, and he waves his hand in frustration as Aiba drove towards the area Nagase had pointed out, ready to find the companion of Nino. Ikuta thought he heard the sound of Nagase groaning in disappointment and tried not to think too much about it. It was nearing night and he would catch a cold without his shirt.  
  
  
  
  
  


**XIX**

  
  
During the trip, Aiba and Yoko slowly told them about what happened in the mountain. How they met Sakurai; how he turned the fire on and off with barely a flick of his hand; what Sakurai had told them about the cruel fate that intertwined he, Nino, and Matsumoto; how his eyes flashed red when he was angry, how he wanted to put an end to all the mystery.  
  
When the night came, Ikuta knew he had made the right decision of not giving his shirt up. The cold air welcomed them as the car entered the North district. Fog blocked their view and the wind blew furiously against their windows, threatening them to back out of the town.  
  
However, the fog didn’t prevent Inocchi from using his ability. In fact, it enhanced it as the fog made the glitter stand out more. Ikuta was grateful that Inocchi was on their side and not on their enemy’s. At first he was pessimistic about finding Nino’s companion, but Inocchi proved that he didn’t lie about his ability to sniff someone’s trail. He pointed at several random places excitedly, claiming that the glitter trails were everywhere in the city but the trace was always leading them to the same place.  
  
Aiba drove the car based on Inocchi’s instructions, slowly but surely taking them to the edge of town. After a few hours of driving, they stopped in front of a tall iron gate at the end of a cliff. At the other side of the fence stood an abandoned castle below the purple moonlight. Inocchi was the first one to step his foot out of the car. He walked towards the fence, gripping it tight as he declared the castle the place where the trace ended.  
  
Yoko and Ikuta hastily searched for a way to get inside. The gate was locked. Yoko reached his hand out, trying to grab the lock, but he quickly pulled it away as the lock electrified him.  
  
“It is protected by magic.” Inocchi solemnly explained.  
  
Both of the lamps that were supposed to illuminate the gate were broken, and so they stood there, oblivious of how to cross the gate as tall brick walls surrounded the castle, while the other side would direct them to a steep ravine. Ikuta grunted in desperation. The fairy they were searching for was only a few steps away, yet the wall was too high to climb and the gate’s tips were too sharp to mount.  
  
Aiba patted his back, calming him down. Ikuta looked up, intending to return Aiba’s gesture when he became aware of something. Someone was sitting at a tree just inside the gate, carefully watching them. Ikuta nudged Aiba and his friend widened his eyes in shock, calling Inocchi and Yoko out, noticing them of the person’s presence.  
  
The person in question didn’t stir from hearing their shouts. He tilted his head a little, and to Ikuta’s surprise, he suddenly jumped to the gate. Ikuta yelled, afraid that that person would accidentally drive himself to the gate’s sharp tips, but he didn’t even touch the gate. He stopped in the air, floating above the gate as two transparent butterfly-shaped wings suddenly sprout out from his back. The wings made low buzzing sounds, flapping slowly against the air, reflecting the color of purple moon above. Ikuta could hear how Aiba gasped and Yoko inhaled a deep breath. The fairy flicked his long hair, looking down below to meet their eyes. Ikuta stood still, watching the fairy flapping his beautiful wings slowly. It was quite a sight indeed, a pretty one at that.  
  
Inocchi was the first one who gained his consciousness back. He stepped forward, calling the fairy out. “Excuse me, do you remember me? I was in Tokio that night, playing cards with your friend.”  
  
The fairy observed him carefully. When he spoke, his voice is as quiet as a whisper. “I’ve been expecting you. It took you long enough to find this place.”  
  
Inocchi was aghast. “Excuse me, but you’ve been expecting us?”  
  
“Yes,” the fairy said as he rolled his eyes. He flew down and opened the gate for them. “Quickly, before my master comes home.” He put his feet on the ground, folding his wings back. “Follow me.”  
  
And so they let him lead them to the back of the castle and ushered them in into a small room. The fairy turned the lamps on the wall on and Ikuta looked around to find that they were standing in a dimly lit kitchen.  
  
“I’m sorry that I could only place you here.” The fairy quickly addressed them after closing the door behind him. He made the gesture at the table and chairs in the middle of the room. “Please sit down.”  
  
They exchanged glances. Was this a trap? Ikuta originally thought that they had to force the fairy to speak, but it turned out that the fairy was the one who wanted to speak with them. He quickly looked at the ceiling, half expecting to find a net hanging there, ready to trap all of them once they were seated. Of course, there was no such thing. Ikuta took a seat as the others did the same thing.  
  
The fairy sat down at the end of the table, crossing his hands. “I trust that you know who I am?”  
  
Ikuta could see the glitter in his skin, stronger than the glitter in his. When the fairy moved, there was a flicker of glitter in the air, leaving his trails around his surroundings. Ikuta watched as the glitter glowed for a moment before fading away.  
  
“You are a friend of Nino’s,” Inocchi answered.  
  
“Not quite, no.” The fairy shook his head, waving his ponytail around with the movement. “He’s my master.”  
  
“Your master?” Yoko asked.  
  
“Yes, my master. He is the master of many others, if they only knew who he is.”  
  
“And who is he exactly?” Ikuta leaned forward, too eager to hear the reply.  
  
“I cannot tell you who he is because he has forbidden me to do so.”  
  
“So?” Yoko bellowed. He fought to keep the desperation from his voice, but failed. “Just tell us and don’t report it back to him.”  
  
“I can’t. I swore with my real name not to tell it to anyone.”  
  
Ikuta cursed under his breath. Again, this matter of 'real names' came up.  
  
“If you can’t tell us who he is, then why did you drag us here?”  
  
The fairy gave them a sly smile. “This is where he made a mistake. He made me swear not to tell who he truthfully is, but he never forbade to give a hint about his identity.”  
  
“And what is this hint?” Ikuta looked at the fairy oddly, but the fairy kept a straight face. He was determined, that Ikuta could see. He exchanged glances with Yoko, not sure of how to react.  
  
Yoko imitated the fairy by crossing his hands on the table. “Do tell us.”  
  
The fairy gave a slight nod. “Wait here.” He stood up and went to the storeroom in the corner, searching for something. He was back carrying an old-looking papyrus scroll with him, signaling for them to help him spread the scroll on the table. When they were done, the scroll was stretched wide open, the corners restrained with the bottles they found from the kitchen cabinet. It took up half of the table.  
  
The fairy grabbed a hanging lamp from the wall and held it above the scroll. “I found this quite recently. Please take a look at it.”  
  
Yoko, Aiba, Ikuta, and Inocchi immediately bowed their heads down to study it. It was an ancient painting with torn edges. Despite its age, the painting was surely well taken care of. The color had faded away but Ikuta could still catch an image of a sphere on the middle of it, surrounded by what seemed to be the four elements of nature. Inocchi grazed the painting with his fingers as Ikuta’s eyes scanned it.  
  
Fire, blazing strongly. Water, rippling robustly. Earth, shaking solidly, and Wind, blowing freely. All of the elements secured the sphere to its place in the middle. Ikuta clenched his teeth, remembering his dream—fire, water, earth, wind, and a dragon. He was certain that they were related in some way. He touched the painting, noticing a trail of water droplets on it. Tears.  
  
“The dragon was not alone.” The fairy broke the silence, his finger was pointing at the sphere. “That’s all I can tell you.”  
  
He was going to ask for an explanation when his eyes accidentally met Aiba’s.  
  
His co-worker took a step back from the table with an unsure look. He bit his lip, his fingers touching the edge of the painting lightly, treating it as if it was a prized, highly brittle ceramic. A strange noise escaped from Aiba’s throat. He looked like he was choked; his face grew red and his voice came out as low as a whisper. “I’ve seen this painting before.”  
  
“I’ve seen it too.” Ikuta raised his voice, on the verge of confessing.  
  
Yoko and Inocchi looked at them weirdly.  
  
“Only the sphere though.” Ikuta quickly added. “I’ve seen it in my dream.”  
  
Ikuta was about to add how the sphere changed into the dragon they were looking for, but before they were able to give a proper response, they heard a rush of voices and the sound of front door being opened.  
  
Someone called out. “Tadayoshi! Tadayoshi! Where are you? I’m home.”  
  
The fairy was stunned. “He’s home early.” He swung his head and looked at them with a murderous expression. “Go.”  
  
  
  
  


**XX**

  
After commanding them, the fairy tossed his ponytail and turned on his heels, ready to greet his master.  
  
They rolled the scroll back, carefully placing it against the kitchen cabinet. As soon as the fairy had slipped to the next room, Yoko ran towards the door to kneel down behind it, hinting the rest of them to follow his lead. Ikuta quickly pressed his back to the wall across Yoko, with Aiba next to him and Inocchi squat down behind Yoko, ready to listen to the conversation.  
  
“Ah, there you are, Tadayoshi, where have you been?”  
  
Yoko lifted his head up, flicking his eyes from Ikuta to Aiba and back. Ikuta nodded. It was Nino’s voice indeed. He opened the door a little bit, just enough for him and Aiba to take a peek.  
  
Nino was sitting on the sofa at the other side of the room, putting his feet on the table when the fairy, Tadayoshi, came towards him.  
  
“I was in the kitchen.” Tadayoshi told him, not entirely lying.  
  
“Hmm,” Nino rubbed his neck, closing his eyes. “It’s a long day.”  
  
“Was it?” Tadayoshi answered absent-mindedly. His eyes wandered to the kitchen door to check on their whereabouts. Tadayoshi narrowed his eyes, his brows furrowing as soon as he realized that they were watching through the small gap. He gave a signal, asking them to close the door back, but Ikuta shook his head, silently stating that they would not leave and watch the chat instead.  
  
Tadayoshi walked to the door but stopped in the middle of the way when Nino called him out. He scowled, forcing a smile as he sat on the sofa. Tadayoshi gave Ikuta a vicious glare, promising deathly threats if he didn’t close the door. Nevertheless, Ikuta was more stubborn; they would watch and there’s nothing the fairy could do to prevent it unless he wanted to inform his master about their presences in the castle.  
  
Nino touched the fairy’s cheek gently, brushing his hair off. “What’s wrong? You look distracted.”  
  
Tadayoshi gave a small smile. He grabbed Nino’s hand, slowly caressing it before bringing it to his lips.  
  
Ikuta widened his eyes in shock as the fairy licked the fingers carefully one by one. Behind him, Aiba let out a gasp. Inocchi and Yoko tilted their heads, mouthing “What’s wrong?” Ikuta shook his head, putting his finger on his lips. They had to keep quiet. Aiba nodded, making a zipping gesture on his mouth. Ikuta turned his head back to the door, feeling Aiba’s head on his shoulder, hands gripping Ikuta’s shirt tightly as they listened to Tadayoshi’s anwer.  
  
The fairy had scooted closer to Nino, kissing his arms lightly, seducing the man in front of him. His eyes twinkled in the dark. “Nothing is wrong.”  
  
“Hmm.” Their client nodded his head vaguely, his other hand traveled to Tadayoshi’s shirt, sneaking its way to the fairy’s stomach. Tadayoshi squirmed, leaning his body back so his master’s hand could travel further. Nino gave a sly smile. Bending his head down, his lips soon found the fairy’s neck, placing butterfly kisses as he whispered, “Spread out your pretty wings for me.”  
  
The fairy obeyed. The wings that were folded neatly on his back were soon set free with a small buzzing sound. Nino hummed his appreciation, expertly mounting Tadayoshi as he touched the wing, following it through the base. Tadayoshi kissed Nino’s jaw, murmuring their client’s name as he moved around, trying to find a relaxed position to spread the wings wider.  
  
Ikuta watched as Nino leaned his body forward, pressing himself closer to the fairy as his lips found Tadayoshi’s. Their kiss began slowly, even almost lazy, before gradually heated up as their tongues tangled in passionate battle. Tadayoshi groaned slightly as Nino’s hands kept rubbing the wings lovingly, his hands traveling to his master’s thigh.  
  
Yoko was stunned. His eyes met Ikuta’s, asking for a confirmation about the sounds he heard. Ikuta could feel the red color creeping up his cheeks, enough to answer Yoko’s unspoken question. Yoko moved to back up a little bit as Ikuta took another peek, unsure of what he had to do. He couldn’t help but wonder if this was the reason why the fairy asked them to go. However, sneaking out of the kitchen might cause Nino to notice their presence. Like it or not, they were stuck here. He was ready to avert his gaze away or close his ears when the fairy made a choking sound. “M-master.”  
  
Ikuta lifted his head up again. Nino had grabbed the base of the fairy’s wing, clutching it tight as he tilted his head. Smiling slightly, he whispered, “I always know when you are lying.”  
  
Behind the door, Ikuta and the others quickly exchanged glances.  
  
“I-I’m not lying.” Tadayoshi replied, his voice trembling a little bit.  
  
Nino kissed the fairy’s forehead. “Spill it.”  
  
“It’s the truth.” Tadayoshi told him persistently.  
  
Nino’s smile got wider. He rocked his body slowly, causing Tadayoshi to whimper. He proceeded caressing the fairy’s face in careful motion as he tightened his grip on the wing. “Don’t lie to me, Tadayoshi.”  
  
“I...”  
  
Inocchi stood up. “I’m going out. We can’t let Nino threaten Tadayoshi more than he already has.”  
  
Ikuta sighed. They had no other choice now. “Together,” he told Inocchi, his hand touching his shoulder soothingly. Aiba and Yoko nodded. Whatever happened, they wouldn’t leave their boss behind. Lifting their hands high in the air, they stepped inside the room, surrendering themselves to Nino. Inocchi raised his voice up a notch, so that it would echo to the end of the room where Nino sat with Tadayoshi below him. “It’s just us. He hid us.”  
  
Nino quickly dismounted Tadayoshi as he set eyes on them. The fairy grimaced, his wings fluttered frantically after Nino removed his grip from them.  
  
“Well, well, look who’s here.” Nino allowed himself a little smile. Despite of the words he said, he didn’t seem shocked at all to see them. “It seemed that my little fairy here had brought you to a tour of my house.”  
  
“He only showed us your kitchen,” Ikuta declared. “And a painting.”  
  
“A painting?” Nino raised his eyebrow, looking genuinely clueless.  
  
“This painting.” Yoko unrolled the scroll. Ikuta didn’t know that Yoko had grabbed it before they entered the room, but it was a smart decision. He could see a change in Nino’s expression after they revealed the painting. If their appearances in his home came as no surprise for him, the fact that they knew about the painting certainly was. It wasn’t part of his plan.  
  
“Tadayoshi told us that the secret of your true identity was hidden in this painting.” Inocchi told him.  
  
“It’s Ohkura.” The fairy spat. “Only my master can call me with my real name.”  
  
Nino threw his head back and laughed. His eye glistened golden once again. “You still call me as your master even after you brought guests into my house without my consent?”  
  
“I only act on your behalf, master,” Tadayoshi, no, Ohkura, replied. “It hurts me to see them thinking that you’re the evil one when you actually....”  
  
“You have talked too much.” Nino stopped him. There was something in his voice that sent shiver down Ikuta’s spine. Nino gazed at their direction once more, smiling.  
  
“Look at how rude I am, not inviting you all to sit down. Come, just treat my castle as your own home.” He sat on the sofa opposite of Ohkura, gesturing them to sit.  
  
Yoko growled, ready to attack Nino but Ikuta prevented him from doing so. He spread his arm out in front of him, taking the seat in front of Nino. Despite of the situation they were currently in, Ikuta felt strangely calm and composed. Staring deeply into the man’s mesmerizing eye, he told him. “I have seen the sphere in the painting somewhere.”  
  
“Have you now?” Nino scoffed. His eye remained expressionless.  
  
“I’ve seen it in a dream. A dream that I had after what you did to me,” he heard himself say, surprised at the sudden rush of emotion flowing through him as he said those words. He could almost feel his eagerness building up. He wanted to know what the dream meant, what all of the events that conspired in the past month was about, even more so than he originally thought. His curiosity would get the best of him, Ikuta knew that, but there was already no backing out. Nino’s eye looked back at him, pulling him in.  
  
Beside him, he could feel Yoko moving around nervously, baffled with the sudden development. “Ikuta, what did he do to you?”  
  
Nino didn’t stir. He lifted one his eyebrows, his golden eye twitched, glistening with mischief. “What else did you see?”  
  
“The sphere changed, transforming itself into the dragon.”  
  
Nino smirked as he heard that. Ohkura stood behind him, wrapping his hands around his master’s shoulders.  
  
“I’ve seen something else too. You, at least, I think it’s you, in a forest. Someone was with you, asking you to do something for him.” Ikuta went on. “Water surrounding you, fire wrapping around you, you on a field with your friends, running freely, laughing.”  
  
Nino clapped his hands, throwing his head back as he couldn’t control his laughter. “It comes around sooner than I expected.”  
  
Ikuta winced. Nino’s laugh wounded him. He wouldn’t lie. Here he was, contemplating about what the dream was about only to be laughed at, but all thoughts were wiped away from his mind when he saw the look on Nino’s eye. There was honesty in it. Ikuta almost didn’t believe it, but it was fear that he saw inside Nino’s eyes. For a second, Nino let his guard down, allowing him to see his real side. He was scared, scared of something that would inevitably happen, and Ikuta just knew he would play a part in it. He bolstered up his spirit, suddenly encouraged. “You blew something in my eyes. You called me one of yours, what did that mean?”  
  
Nino leaned his body forward, repeating what Ohkura had told them before. The openness had been shut again, covered with layers of crafty cunning expertise. “I am a master of many.”  
  
“If only they know who you actually are?” Ikuta challenged him.  
  
“That’s right.”  
  
“And who are you, actually?”  
  
“That’s the question, isn’t it?”  
  
Ikuta felt someone touching his hand gently, and when he flicked his eyes to his right, he could see Inocchi’s worried face as well as his other co-workers’ questioning look. “Ikuta, what’s going on here?”  
  
Ikuta carefully pushed Inocchi’s hand down. “It’s okay, Inocchi.” He turned to Nino, who was still sitting with a playful smile on his lips.  
  
“Do you want to know the answer?” Nino asked him.  
  
“I want to know about the dragon.”  
  
Nino’s laughter was bitter. “Oh, he and I are very related. Very, very related.”  
  
If he is going to use me, I want to know what I’m being used for. With that purpose in mind, Ikuta declared his determination. “Show me the secret.”  
  
Nino cupped his face, blowing his wind into Ikuta’s eyes. “Then dream.”  
  
Ikuta closed his eyes. A golden light immediately shimmered on his eyelids as he lost control of his body. Inocchi’s hands caught him when his body slipped slowly to the floor. He knew his boss repeatedly shouted his name out loud, shaking him, calling on him to wake up. He could hear how Aiba gasped as Yoko shouted, cursing Nino with several names, all sounded ruder than the previous one. He listened to Ohkura defending his master, pushing Yoko back.  
  
He wanted to tell them to stop fighting because this was what he wanted. Nevertheless, he was too far-gone to even speak. The dizziness had taken over him and he was unable to open his mouth, explaining his reason to his friends. Too tired to even think, he finally surrendered himself to the darkness. And dreamt, he did.  
  
  
  
  


**XXI**

  
“It’s hatching! It’s hatching, Master!”  
  
Ikuta opened his eyes, wincing. It was bright, far too bright. He closed them again.  
  
“Well, well, let’s see how this one looks like.”  
  
There’s a cracking sound and more light flashed in front of him. Ikuta closed his eyes, trying to tell them to cover the light, but the only sound that came from his throat was a high-pitched shriek. Something touched his skin slowly, caressing him softly. He took another peek. It was easier to open his eyes again as he was gradually accustomed to the light. He crawled on the ground, trying to get used of using his legs and arms when someone lifted him up. Trying to yell, he let out another shriek as he saw a pair of enormous golden eyes in front of him, looking at him with a mix of concern and admiration.  
  
Nino.  
  
Nino smiled. “Hello there, beautiful. I shall call you Toma.”  
  
The view in front of him spun and Ikuta tried to hold on to Nino’s palm but it was useless. The scene changed.  
  
Nino was there, shoving a red flower in front of him. “It’s your first assigned flower, congratulations.”  
  
Ikuta looked up. Nino’s face was too big. His golden eyes sparkled in the sunlight, watching him. Ikuta reached out to touch the flower, and Nino’s lips turned into a smile.  
  
He felt his mouth move on its own. “Have I done it right, master?”  
  
Nino patted Ikuta’s head with his finger. “Yes. Good job.”  
  
He closed his eyes and the earth was spinning again.  
  
He was sitting on a jar of jam on the kitchen table, slowly humming and rocking his body back and forth, watching his master and friends playing cards.  
  
Someone groaned. “Ah, I lost again. It’s impossible to defeat you in this game after all.”  
  
His master tsk-ed. “Now, now, Sho, you fail at everything, not only at this card game.”  
  
The last person in the room laughed. “He’s right.”  
  
Ikuta looked above and gulped. It was Matsumoto, back when he was still on speaking terms with Nino.  
  
The one who was called Sho pouted, but didn’t object to anything either. He looked at the window with a thoughtful expression. “Where’s Masaki?”  
  
Nino sighed; his hands started shuffling the cards. “He said he needs time alone.”  
  
“What’s wrong with him lately? He’s losing his focus.”  
  
“Should we help him?”  
  
“Hm, I think it’s better for us to wait. If he needs our help, he knows he can ask it anytime.”  
  
“Perhaps you’re right. Hey, who’s your new guy here?”  
  
“It’s Toma. Isn’t he cute? Ah!” The cards slipped away from his master’s hands, idly falling down the floor. Ikuta’s eyes followed them and the floor opened up, guiding him into another scene.  
  
He was back in the forest, the same forest as the one in his dream. However, he was not sitting on a rock this time. He shook his head, wincing as the sun shone brightly above his head. His consciousness came back and he tried to move his neck. Finally, he could move with his own will.  
  
He took a look around. Knee-length grass danced along with wind, vibrating slightly with every gust, green and lively. Flowers in many different colors were blooming all across the field. Trees stood tall and proud, dozens of fruits were dangling from every branch. He turned his head, listening to the birds singing and the sounds of a waterfall not too far away, as he took in the view in front of him.  
  
He took a deep breath. The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful. He wanted to roll around in the smooth grass, curl up beside the tree roots, sleep, and forget all of the thoughts that had been haunting his mind lately. Nonetheless, something didn’t feel right. Earth has not been this green for a long time, at least, not in Ikuta’s entire life. Earth had never looked this beautiful; Ikuta only remembered the malformations growing more apparent after the great earthquake happened.  
  
Ikuta jerked his head. The great earthquake! He was here to find out about the dragon, about Nino’s past, about his relation to the dragon. What had Nino said before he collapsed? Ikuta could hear the echoes of Nino’s voice in his ears. He and the dragon are very much related. This was the reason why he entered the dream; he wanted to find out about the mystery of the dragon.  
  
He tried to walk, wanting to wander around through the forest, but he stopped as he noticed something odd. His feet didn’t touch the ground. He was floating in the air. He gasped, trying to find his balance, flapping his winds desperately. Wait, wings? Ikuta heard a slow buzzing sounds from his back and slowly, he turned his head to find what he knew were there: a pair of transparent butterfly-shaped wings. Ikuta groaned as he came to the realization. He flapped his wings a couple of times, testing the air. Yes, he was a fairy. A small one at that, not a grand-looking one like Ohkura was.  
  
Nino’s voice echoed back in his ears. “You are one of mine.” What that meant finally sunk in to Ikuta. He shook his head, laughing at how fate played around with his life.  
  
Ikuta paused as he heard other murmuring voices at the other side of the waterfall. He stuck his neck out, turning towards the sounds. He noticed that there were two voices talking rapidly, obviously enmeshed in an argument. Ikuta hastily flew to them, stumbling a couple of times. He was new to the sensation of having wings and flying, after all.  
  
One of them was sitting on a rock while the other was holding his hand, pleading him to do something. It was the exact same scene as the one in his dream. Ikuta lifted his eyes to see their faces and nearly let out a joyful yell as he had guessed correctly. Nino was the one sitting with his solemn expression in his face, both of his eyes still there.  
  
“Masaki, don’t do this, please.” Nino told the other person. Ikuta’s gaze moved to check out his face and he yelped, reaching for the nearest branch as he lost his balance.  
  
It was not a person at all. It was a dragon. Full grown dragon as big as a hill with smooth yellow-green skin and long pointed horns. His scaly hands touched Nino’s, his violet eyes were clouded by tears, looking sad and desperate. The dragon flicked its long tail and opened his mouth, displaying yellow sets of teeth while huge droplets of water fell from his eyes to Nino’s lap. “Do this for me, please. I will take the consequences.” The dragon pleaded with a nasally voice.  
  
Ikuta quickly hid himself behind a tree, curiously watching the two creatures.  
  
“I can’t, Masaki, the risk is too high.” Nino shook his head, stroking the dragon’s nose gently. “Don’t do this.”  
  
“What if I order you to do it, using your real name?”  
  
Nino stopped stroking. “You won’t dare.”  
  
“It’s my last resort, my only weapon.”  
  
“Damn it, Masaki.” Nino stood up, smacking the dragon’s head. “You don’t have to do this.”  
  
The dragon blew his nose. Nino winced, jumping away from him.  
  
“I have to do it, Kazu, you don’t understand.”  
  
Ikuta blinked, confused for a while before he realized that Kazu had to be Nino’s real name.  
  
Nino crawled up to the dragon’s head, placing his feet between his eyes, hands reaching to touch the dragon. “No, you don’t. We can help you.”  
  
The dragon blinked his tears away. “You all have your own problems to take care off. I don’t want to trouble you.”  
  
Nino berated him. “You trouble me more by asking me to do this!”  
  
The dragon made a low grunting noise before he continued with his pleas. “My power is getting weaker, you know it best. I don’t want to see the beauty of the earth fading away because I’m not strong enough to keep it. I need to see Leader. Kazu, please, you are the only one I can go to.”  
  
Nino sat on the dragon’s head, shaking his head again. “They won’t approve of this.”  
  
“They don’t have to know.”  
  
“The problem wouldn’t have even occurred if only you relied on us more. You love too much, Masaki, you need to control it.”  
  
“That’s why I need to see Leader!”  
  
Nino groaned. Sliding down from the dragon’s head, he asked him, keeping his voice as low as a whisper. “Are you sure?”  
  
“Yes,” The dragon nodded his head firmly. “Please.”  
  
Nino sighed heavily. “Fine. Stay still.”  
  
He closed his eyes, slowly humming something as the dragon sat up, watching him impatiently. Ikuta flew closer to their location as Nino’s murmuring voice gradually turned into song. He watched as Nino spread his arms out, continued singing in an incomprehensible language as the voice was getting louder and louder.  
  
Ikuta tightened his grip to the nearest branch as the trees around him started shaking. Something was going on and it seemed that every live in the forest noticed it as well. Ikuta widened his eyes as his gaze swept across the field, looking at how restless the animals became. Birds chirped noisily, rabbits ran out from their holes, insects crawled from the trees, and foxes made loud, squealing calls to each other. The wind blew harshly against his cheeks as Nino projected his voice even more, singing steadily into the air.  
  
The dragon whimpered as Nino inhaled a deep breath, gathering and shaping the air around him into an enormous sphere. Ikuta stared at the scene in amazement as he could see how Nino sucked the air around him into the sphere. When he snapped his eyes open, they had changed into gold, flashing dangerously. “One last chance, Masaki.”  
  
“Do it.” The dragon replied, closing his eyes. He was ready to accept whatever Nino would do to him.  
  
Nino nodded firmly. He bit his lip, concentrating on the sphere. Apparently, it was not big enough. Ikuta choked, suffocating as he felt the air gravitated towards Nino and the dragon. He shuddered as he felt the windless air surrounding him. The sphere absorbed them all. He fell from the tree, literally grasping for air as Nino continued singing, moving his hand towards the sphere. He didn’t stop until it was as big as the dragon’s chest.  
  
Ikuta crawled on the ground, his eyes never leaving the sight in front of him. He knew he wouldn’t last long if he was left breathless like this, but he couldn’t divert his gaze. This was it. This was how it all went wrong. This was the past that had haunted Matsumoto and Sakurai alike. This was the accident that changed everything.  
  
Nino stopped singing. He took one last look at the sphere, observing the wind swirling in it cautiously. He swallowed and let go of it. The sphere floated in the air, hovering slowly towards the dragon’s chest.  
  
The dragon’s breath hitched. The sphere crashed into his chest, pushing its way through. The dragon trembled, his body unconsciously shaking to the left, and then to the right. Ikuta’s brows furrowed. There was something else in it. There was something else between the dragon’s chest and the sphere.  
  
He opened his eyes wide as he comprehended what it was. Another sphere. Unlike Nino’s windy sphere, this sphere was solid. Solid and smaller and radiating a warm violet glow. If before Ikuta thought that the sun was bright, it was nothing compared to the new sphere. Nino fell, losing his strength after releasing all of his energy. His sphere was absorbed up into the smaller one, causing it to release relaxing humming sounds, vibrating slightly in the air.  
  
The wind was back again and Ikuta inhaled a deep breath, feeling relieved at being able to breath again. He was alive but his mind was fixed on something. The sphere. Ikuta crawled closer, wanting nothing more than to get closer to it, unable to reject its inviting glow.  
  
The dragon appeared to have the same thought. He moved his hand, reaching out for the sphere, his claws almost touching it when the sphere buzzed.  
  
Ikuta turned his eyes away as it exploded. Nino let out a surprised yell. The explosion was so severe it sent Ikuta flying. He hit the ground head first, groaning in pain as the effect swept across the ground.  
  
The light that came out from the sphere was so intense that Ikuta could see nothing but white. The sound was almost deafening but he could still hear a loud and long growl, so frantic that it made him shudder. The ground shook more violently and the animals around him raised their voices altogether, chirping and wailing and howling and whimpering. There were loud thumping sounds, there were more shouts; there were groans and yelling and more thumping sounds.  
  
Suddenly, the light seemed as if it was slowly dying out. Ikuta lifted his head up, trying to see the silhouette behind the fog and blood that was blocking his view.  
  
The dragon was crying, moaning, moving his whole body to the left and right, knocking out the trees and everything that stood in his way. The sphere was nowhere to be seen. The dragon was covering one of his eyes up, blood flowing down in his cheeks. He was badly injured with scars all over his body, blood streaming down, damaging his smooth skin. The dragon banged his head into the ground, wailing, his claws digging into his skin.  
  
Ikuta swallowed as the leaves started losing its color, flowers withered, fruits rotted, animals, from the butterflies to rabbits to wildcats to boars to foxes, all fell one by one, all dying.  
  
Nino’s scream was frantic. “No, Masaki!”  
  
His master ran towards the dragon, reaching for him, trying to stop him from hurting himself, but the dragon was in too much pain to listen. He moved around violently, accidentally pushing Nino away with his claws. Nino fell to the ground with a loud bang. Ikuta could see that he had also been injured by the explosion — his breath was short, his eyes were unfocused. Still, while clutching his chest, Nino ran back to calm the dragon down. The dragon screeched and Nino was thrown into the air, right to where Ikuta was.  
  
Ikuta yelled as Nino landed near him. Nino turned his head to face him, noticing his presence. He was about to say something but Ikuta never knew what that was because at that time the dragon rolled towards them, his claws trying to shove him out of the way.  
  
Ikuta gasped as he felt something stab him. The claws had accidentally pierced him. Blood started flowing out from his chest. It hurt. He lifted his head and saw tears in Nino’s golden eyes. Ikuta gasped, trying desperately to prolong his life but even breathing was hard. It hurt more than anything he had ever felt in his entire life.  
  
Nino growled. Opening his mouth, Ikuta watched in horror as his master’s teeth started to grow. He couldn’t see him clearly as everything started blurring into each other. Nino growled louder and his nails changed into claws, his head turned lizard-like, his skin grew scales. It happened faster than Ikuta ever thought it would, because when he took another breath, a white dragon was standing beside him. The ground shook, he coughed more blood, and the next thing Ikuta knew was darkness.  
  
He woke up.


	5. Chapter 5

 

**XXII**

  
He was sitting on a sofa, clutching his shirt, breathing heavily. He remembered it now. He remembered everything. He closed his eyes. A long time ago, he was not just Ikuta. He was Toma, a newborn fairy, and Nino was his master, as he was the master of many others.  
  
Everything from the past month swirled around in his head as he played the scenes over and over again.  
  
The water was repelled by wind before touching Nino’s body. The cards were in the air, floating left and right with the wind after Nino let it go. The wind shifted its direction before Nino realized his presence behind the wall. Nino jumped from one roof to the other as if he was as light as a feather. Nino blew wind into his eyes, lulling him into a dream of the past. Nino gathered the wind into a big sphere.  
  
Matsumoto, the sea monster with green eyes who had a habit of hiring other sea monsters —Ikuta remembered how fishes flicked their tails at the sight of him, how Matsumoto cried when it rained, how a storm happened right after his meeting with Nino.  
  
And Sakurai. Ikuta recalled his memory of Aiba’s words. How Sakurai controlled fire so easily, how his eyes flashed red when he was angry.  
  
With every realization, he came closer to the truth. The white dragon he took a glimpse on right before he woke up was Nino. He recalled an image from his dream of how a violet dragon turned into a sphere before he went to sleep. The green dragon he saw in his dream, Masaki, said something. “I need to see Leader.”  
  
An image of the painting flashed in his mind. Fire, blazing strongly. Water, rippling robustly. Earth, shaking solidly. Wind, blowing freely. Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, dragon. What did Ohkura say? The dragon was not alone.  
  
Ikuta smiled. It was crystal clear now. Yes, the dragon was not alone. He was never alone.  
  
Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Dragon.  
  
He looked around and realized something. The bedroom had blue walls and a wooden parquet floor. This was the back room of their office.  
  
There were voices outside of the room, sounds of people shouting. He could recognize to whom the voices belonged to. Yoko, Aiba, Inocchi, Matsumoto, and another voice he didn’t recognize that he assumed was Sakurai’s. His chuckle turned into uncontrollable laugh. Nino didn’t kill their lost friend, it was purely an accident. They had been fighting for centuries over a grave mistake, but it was finally time for the truth to be revealed.  
  
  
  
  


**XXIII**

  
“He did something to him!”  
  
“Yoko, Yoko, calm down.”  
  
“Now we can’t wake him up!”  
  
“Wait...”  
  
“You need to help us. Wake him up, please, please.”  
  
“There’s nothing we can do.”  
  
“Don’t say that there’s nothing you can do! You caused this! You dragged us into your problem. If there’s anything happen to him, it’s your fault!  
  
“Look, we are as clueless as you are about what Nino did to him!”  
  
“You said he was a fairy, right? Nino has his way with fairies.”  
  
“What way?”  
  
“You don’t understand, he’s their master.”  
  
“What master?”  
  
Ikuta opened the door carefully. All the eyes in the room were turned to him.  
  
“Ikuta!”  
  
“Ikuta!”  
  
Yoko, Aiba, and Inoochi immediately jumped at him when he walked into the room. Ikuta gasped for air as the three men hugged him tightly. Inocchi rubbed his head, Aiba patted his back, and Yoko just stood there in front of him, his mouth open. “We thought we lost you.”  
  
“It takes more than that to get rid of me.” Ikuta smiled. He was touched to see his friends’ reactions. He only joined the team for a month yet they treated him as if he has been one of their own for a lifetime. However, this was not the time to right time to express his gratitude as there was a more urgent problem. “I’m fine. Besides, my master would never hurt me.”  
  
“Your master? Ikuta, has he done something to your head?”  
  
“No, you don’t understand, Inocchi. Someone here said it before, right? That Nino is the master of fairies!”  
  
“That would be me.” Ikuta turned his head and saw a man standing next to the fireplace, crossing his arms. Okada stood calmly beside him.  
  
“Sakurai?” Ikuta bowed his head politely, recognizing the guy as one of Nino’s friends from his previous dream.  
  
The man gave a careful nod. “Yes.”  
  
“Do you remember me?”  
  
Sakurai tilted his head. Dark brown eyes were looking bat at him, yet Ikuta knew well that it was not the true color of those eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before, but I have seen too many creatures in my long life that I may have forgotten some of them. I’m sorry, have we met?”  
  
Ikuta chuckled, noticing how his friends and boss looking at him weirdly. Everything seemed so funny but he knew no one would understand him, not until he told everyone about the truth.  
  
“That’s it. Nino definitely had done something to his head.” Yoko commented helpfully but it only made Ikuta laughed harder.  
  
“Perhaps you don’t remember this because I was so small back then.” His eyes were back at Sakurai and Matsumoto, to the two men who were looking at him interestedly. “But I am Toma, Nino’s newborn fairy. I was there when you played cards in his kitchen, back when he still had both of his eyes.”  
  
Matsumoto regarded him thoughtfully with his cool black eyes. Ikuta wanted to see them turn into that pretty green shade again. “What are you talking about?”  
  
Ikuta sighed. “Of course, I should explain it from the beginning.”  
  
“Yes, you should, or else we would think that you have gone insane.” Inocchi pointed out.  
  
“Okay, listen.” Ikuta took a deep breath. It was only then that he realized that he was trembling. Aiba seemed to realize that too and he came hurriedly, eager to help him get up. Ikuta murmured his thanks and when he lifted his head up, his eyes accidentally met Aiba’s. Aiba looked at him with a concern expression and Ikuta choked when he recognized something else.  
  
Aiba’s eyes. One of them was violet and the other one was golden. He remembered how the green dragon was covering his eye, his violet eyes. He recalled how Nino still had both of his golden eyes when he transformed into a dragon, the last memory of his past life. The sounds of the green dragon’s nasally voice rang in his ears. Why didn’t he realize how familiar it was? He thought he had understood everything, yet he had forgotten one last detail. The answer was in front of his face all along but he was too blind to see it; it came at the most unexpected time. He paused, searching for the best words to explain the situation. How could he begin to unveil the misunderstanding that had been going on for centuries?  
  
“He gave his eye to you.” In the end, that was the first sentence that came out from his mouth. There were no right words to say at this kind of situation, but at least it was a start.  
  
Aiba tilted his head. “Eh?”  
  
Taking his arm, Ikuta told him gently, trying to convey his whole feelings within the words. “You are him, you are Masaki.”  
  
“How do you that name?” It was Matsumoto who asked the question. When Ikuta turned his head around, he saw that Matsumoto had stood up abruptly from his seat. His voice was trembling slightly, his brows furrowed, his body was stiff. Sakurai was standing behind him with the equal confused look. One of his hands lay in Matsumoto’s shoulder, carefully holding him back.  
  
“Because I was there.”  
  
“There? Ikuta, what are you trying to say?” Inocchi inquired.  
  
“The day when the green dragon was lost.”  
  
Someone pulled him up, grabbing his collar, choking him. “How do you know about the green dragon? What lies did Nino whisper in your ears?” Ikuta’s wish came true sooner than he expected. Matsumoto glared at him with the true color of his eyes, demanding an answer.  
  
Ikuta coughed. For a moment he was too afraid to speak. Was it really his fate to reveal the truth? Yet he knew there was a reason why Nino gave him the dream, and if it was the role he had to play here, he would deliver it without a doubt. He swallowed hard before stating the truth. “It was not a lie. Nino never killed Masaki. Masaki asked Nino to help him and an unfortunate accident happened.”  
  
“Lies!” Matsumoto pushed him and Ikuta fell to the floor. “I should know. Fairies are the best liars, taught by their own, lying master.”  
  
Inocchi approached him, trying to lend him a hand, but Ikuta refused it politely. He hadn’t finished yet. He had to spill everything out before it was too late. The problem had been going on too long, tormenting everyone who was involved. They shouldn’t suffer anymore.  
  
“Inocchi, I’m sorry, but you are wrong.” Reaching for Inocchi’s shoulders, Ikuta sighed. “I am not a fairy.”  
  
Inocchi’s jaw dropped. “It can’t be, I saw your glitter...”  
  
“It was reminiscence of my past life.” Ikuta shook his head impatiently. “The glow that you see in me comes from my life before this one. Answering your question about what Nino did to me, he merely reminded me of what happened in the past.”  
  
“What past?” Sakurai kneeled beside him. “Tell me what you saw.”  
  
Ikuta gave a small nod before he went on. “I was there, hiding behind the tree the day it was happened. I saw Nino in a forest, talking with an enormous green dragon he called Masaki.”  
  
He looked around and saw that every eye in the room was fixed on him, waiting for him to continue his story. Half of them looked at him with genuine curiosity while the other half looked like they believed he had truly lost his mind.  
  
“I was a newborn fairy and I was playing in the forest when I overheard two people having a conversation next to the waterfall. As I flew there, I saw the two. The dragon was pleading for Nino’s help. He said that his power was getting weaker and he didn’t want to see the beauty of the earth fading away because he was not strong enough to keep it, therefore he needed to see your Leader.”  
  
Sakurai widened his eyes. “Did he really say that?”  
  
Matsumoto bit his lip, his expression was unreadable.  
  
“Nino gathered a sphere of wind, opening up the green dragon’s chest, and a glowing violet sphere came out from it.” Toma went on. “But something was not right, the sphere exploded, hurting Masaki. He went wild, bleeding, his body was full of scars. One of his eyes got lost. Nino tried to stop him, but he couldn’t. The dragon spun around and his claw accidentally stabbed me. The last thing I saw was Nino transforming into another dragon, a white one.”  
  
By the time he was finished, there was a silence.  
  
“He still had both of his golden eyes when I passed away, but the dragon had lost one of his violet eyes. When I saw Aiba’s eyes, I realized what all of this meant.”  
  
Aiba gasped after hearing his explanation. His hand automatically went to his golden eye, but Ikuta had not finished yet.  
  
“There was a reason why my master was interested in Inocchi’s story about us; there was a reason why he came to our office, asking us to search for the dragon when he knew well where the dragon sleeps; there was a reason why he arranged so we can meet Matsumoto and Sakurai; there was a reason why Ohkura told us that Nino was not guilty. Nino told me before that the dragon was a dear friend of his. I dreamt about a violet dragon turning into a sphere before going to sleep, but Nino turned into a white one while the one that he talked to was green. Ohkura told us that the key to Nino’s identity is that the dragon is not alone.” Ikuta lifted his head up to meet two pairs of green and red eyes. “Fire, water, earth, wind. They are you, aren’t they? I saw a painting of you together.”  
  
Matsumoto gave him a cool, firm look and Sakurai smiled bitterly. “We are one, yet we are many.”  
  
“If it’s the truth, why did Nino keep it a secret for such a long time?” Yoko asked.  
  
“You need to ask him yourself.” Okada, who had been quiet the whole time, walked towards the window. As he opened it, they saw Nino sitting on a tree, hugging his feet, shuddering. They could see tears flowing down in his cheeks. When he opened his mouth, he only whispered one word. “Masaki.”  
  
  
  
  


**XXIV**

  
“Masaki?” Matsumoto turned his head. His voice was as low as a whisper.  
  
Nino hopped into the room, spreading his hand to Aiba’s direction. His golden eye reflected the hanging light bulbs, identical to one of Aiba’s. “I’m sorry, Masaki.”  
  
Aiba was visibly in panic. Ikuta didn’t envy him. It wasn’t everyday that people told you that you were a reincarnation of a dragon. He took a few steps back, hiding behind Yoko. “Wait, what do you mean that I’m Masaki? Why are you saying sorry to me?”  
  
“Wait, Kazu, this can’t be true.” Sakurai grabbed Nino’s arm from behind, confounded. His brows furrowed. “He can’t be Masaki. I talked to him, okay? He didn’t say anything.”  
  
“He lost his memory.” Tears fell down from Nino’s eye. He had been trying to act so tough for so long, hiding his guilt, concealing the truth, disguising himself as a carefree offender, carrying the sin he never truly committed. He had been waiting for this moment to come, the moment when Masaki was back again to their side, the minute where they could be together again. He had forgotten how many times he had dreamt of this, but in every dream, Masaki would recognize him, and not completely oblivious of who he was. When he spoke again, his voice was trembling. “It was a mistake, my terrible mistake.”  
  
Matsumoto stepped forward; his green eyes were also misted up with tears. “What actually happened?” His determination to hate Nino disappeared for a few seconds. Nevertheless, he was stubborn. Perhaps he just needed more explanation or perhaps he was just too accustomed to blaming Nino that he already forgotten how it was to not hate him. Matsumoto didn’t know what he was actually feeling. There was too much emotion: anger, frustration, relief, confusion, disappointment, happiness. There was only one thing he knew for sure, and that was how he wanted to know the truth.  
  
Nino nodded his head slightly. The time had come to answer all questions. “Masaki.” Nino lifted his head up to look at Aiba, his expression stricken with guilt. “You don’t remember this but you are Masaki, our Masaki.” There was a pause as Nino let go of Sakurai’s arm.  
  
Everyone went silent. It was as if the world went still too, holding its breath as its fate was being decided.  
  
Ikuta bit his lip as he realized what the progress would mean. The rise of the earth dragon, if Aiba was truly the one he believed Aiba was, would put an end to nature’s malformations. He unconsciously moved his feet; his shoes’ soles rubbed against the wooden floor. The sound was thunderous in the quiet room yet no one even noticed.  
  
Matsumoto was standing awkwardly beside the fireplace, unsure of how to react. His eyes were fixed to Nino’s back. Sakurai’s hands were still hanging in the air, unaware that he wasn’t holding Nino anymore. Inocchi eyes kept on growing bigger and bigger, trying to catch up with the situation. Ohkura were looking at them from the tree. He sat on the tree, spreading his beautiful wings wide. Okada leaned his back to the window, saying nothing. In the middle of the room, Yoko looked around nervously. He was still protecting Aiba behind his back. Ikuta could understand what was going around in his mind. Nino, their scheming client, the one that had manipulated them for his own advantage, was crying, calling Aiba his long lost friend. This was certainly felt like a joke and yet it was not. Aiba clutched Yoko’s shirt. His expression was unreadable.  
  
Everyone was waiting for more explanation.  
  
Nino stepped forward, expectant. “I know you were most probably dead, yet your body was never found and thus I couldn’t give up the hope that you still lived somewhere, laughing happily with your nasally childish voice and pretty violet eyes. Sho and Jun,” Ikuta noticed that Matsumoto winced at the mention of the latter name, to which Nino paid no attention, “changed their appearances several times throughout the years, but I didn’t want to change mine. I want you to be able to recognize me when we met again. The moment when Inocchi told me about his friend with one golden eye and one violet eye who can talk to trees, I knew that it was you. I’ve been looking for centuries, traveling to every place where there was a mention of someone with an earth-related ability, hoping to find you for even the slightest rumor, but all of them were false. Yet you are different. No one can talk to the earth like you do, like Masaki did. From the first second I laid my eye on you, I knew that I’ve found the one that I’m looking for.” Nino stopped for a while, searching for the words to say. He allowed himself a sad, bitter smile that turned quickly into sullen thin line on his lips. “Now, you were standing on my arm’s reach and you don’t recognize me at all. I guess that’s the price I have to pay for what I have done.”  
  
Ikuta saw Aiba tightening his grip on Yoko’s shirt. Yoko grabbed Aiba’s arm, holding him from falling down.  
  
Ikuta knew his friends needed him but when he walked, his feet unconsciously moved to his master, kneeling beside him. “Master.” He whispered the name, treating it like something sacred. It was something has not said for centuries and finally, as everything became clear; he understood why he couldn’t avert his gaze away from Nino ever since the first time he met him.  
  
Nino lifted his head up. He spread his hands, gently touching Ikuta’s cheeks. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t save you, Toma. I’m sorry that you had to die.”  
  
Toma. It was his name once, a long time ago. A name only his master could say. Yet he was not the weak fairy anymore. There was no such thing as coincidence. He wanted to believe there was a reason why he met Inocchi that day, why he became Aiba’s co-worker, why Nino chose to remind him of his past.  
  
“I’m sorry that I used you.” Nino whispered, pressing his forehead to Ikuta’s.  
  
Ikuta closed his eyes. He had a louder voice in this life and it was meant to speak the truth. “It’s not your fault.” He shook his head firmly, snapping his eyes open. “I was there when it happened. It’s not your fault.”  
  
“Yes, it was.” Nino’s expression was grim. “I should’ve objected to his request. I should’ve told Jun and Sho about what happened to Masaki, yet I didn’t. I was arrogant. I thought I could save him with no one’s help and I was wrong.”  
  
“What happened?” Ikuta glanced. It was surprisingly Aiba who inquired the question. “What happened to Masaki?”  
  
“Tell us, Kazu,” Sho called him. His gentle hand touched Nino’s shoulder. “It is late but it is better than never.”  
  
Nino sighed, spreading his hand out. When he reached out this time, Aiba didn’t reject him. Their palms were tangled together and it reminded Ikuta of two dragons that were involved in a heated conversation, in a past where everything was forgotten. Ikuta recalled the loving look in Nino’s eyes that day, how much it had betrayed his concern for Masaki to the point that he couldn’t refuse his request. Even with one less eye, Nino still showed the same concern. “You love too much, Masaki. You love far too much. There was a limit to our strength and you chose to ignore it. When you love, you gave everything that is in you, and if what you love was earth, there was plenty of power that you needed to give.”  
  
Aiba swallowed. He touched Nino’s eye patch and then his own golden eye, asking carefully. “Does this eye belong to you?”  
  
Nino smiled. A relieved smile. “I used it to seal your rage. You wouldn’t stop moving around, destroying things, so I plucked mine out and gave it to you. We both collapsed after it and I had never got the chance to see how it looks on you.” Nino observed Aiba’s face. “It looks good.”  
  
“I-I don’t know what to say.” Aiba started to sob. “It’s so hard to believe this, but this is true, right? Somehow, I know that it’s true as I’ve never seen anyone who has the same ability as I do. Somehow, I know that I have seen you guys somewhere. I wish I remember, but I don’t. I’m sorry.”  
  
“Well,” Nino chuckled. “It’s a bit of a trouble, giving my eye to you. Your power was transferred into me and mine into you. It made little Jun suspicious.”  
  
“It’s...” Matsumoto glowered, but stopped his tongue from giving away his temper. Ikuta turned his head to the window. The rain had started, setting the perfect mood to the whole situation. With every teardrops falling out from his eyes, Matsumoto’s face turned bluer, his eyes flashed greener, his appearance turning more lizard-like. He buried his face in his hands before lifting it up. When he spoke, there was a set of fangs in his mouth. “It’s not my fault if you never explained anything.”  
  
Ikuta knew that was not what he meant and Nino realized that as well. He touched Jun’s hand gently with his other free hand. The part where they touched, the flush of skin on skin, made that spot shed, revealing each one’s scales beneath. Blue and white, side by side. Nino’s voice was thick with emotion. “I couldn’t deny what you said. You are right, Jun. I was the one who killed him. If I didn’t perform the ritual by myself, none of this would ever happen. There wasn’t a day that I didn’t regret it. It was my fault and I deserved the punishment.”  
  
“No!” Aiba shouted. “If there was anyone to be blamed, it was Masaki, I mean, me. Sorry,” he smiled sheepishly, “I am still not used to that name.”  
  
Sakurai chuckled. Just like his friends, his eyes had become red, but it didn’t convey a warning. There was pure bliss and relief in his eyes. “We were all at fault. If only Jun trusted you more, if only I pursued the answer from you more stubbornly...”  
  
“It’s useless to think about whose mistake it was, isn’t it?” Okada raised his voice. It was the first time Ikuta saw him smiling that wide. He walked towards the four old friends and punched Sakurai lightly in his arm. “Your dream has come true now.”  
  
“It has.” Sakurai smiled at Okada, agreeing at his words. When he put his hand on top of his friends, its color slowly changed into gold. “It truly has.”  
  
“Wait!” Yoko chose that time to shout, distracting everyone from what seemed to be a sacred reunion. “So, where does the dragon actually sleep?”  
  
Nino, Sakurai, and Matsumoto quickly exchanged glances. They were too absorbed in their meeting that they had forgotten about the other people in the room. It was a confusing situation and more explanation was needed.  
  
“Don’t you understand?” Nino was the one who replied to him, his lips curving into a teasing smile. “The dragon was sleeping in the heart of the earth. Toma said it before, right? A long time ago, there were five dragons. Fire,” he pointed at Sho, “Water,” he pointed at Jun, “Wind,” he pointed at himself, “and Earth.” His finger stopped at Aiba as his smile went wider.  
  
Ikuta coughed as he realized what the old folklore was actually saying. The ritual that Nino did in the forest was starting to make sense now. He murmured the stories they have heard throughout their journey. “The dragon was sleeping in the heart of the earth and there was only one person who can open the key to the dragon’s sleeping place.”  
  
The dragon was sleeping in the heart of the earth. The heart of the earth. The Earth Dragon.  
  
“Was Aiba the key to the dragon?” Inocchi appeared to have the same conclusion as Toma.  
  
“We are the dragons.” Matsumoto replied curtly. “The legend told of only one dragon, but legends and folklores often do not tell the complete truth. We were divided, but we are one. A single soul dwelling in five bodies. As our leader left to go into a deep slumber, he told us to guard the world on his place. Everything went wrong when we lost Masaki, as three couldn’t replace four, and we started losing control of nature. Now that we have found Masaki, the earth will return to normal. We are back together at last.”  
  
“I’ve always known where leader sleeps, but with Masaki gone, there was no way for me to reach him. When I see Toma, I began to plot a plan, but the challenge was never to find the dragon’s place. It was to open up either Toma’s or Masaki’s memories. Toma is faster after all, I should’ve known.” Nino chuckled. “Even before the earthquake, Masaki is always slow to grasp a situation, but that’s okay,” Nino opened his hand, gesturing for Aiba to get nearer. “Come. It’s fine if you don’t remember how to use your power, we will teach you how to do it. The earth will regain its protector back. We can stop the malformations, we can save everything. There is finally hope for us, for earth you once loved so much.”  
  
By the time Nino finished speaking; Aiba had accepted the fact about his past. Ikuta could see the determination in his mismatched eyes, and if he was not wrong, there was also excitement dancing about in there. Aiba moved his feet; he was going to accept Nino’s hand when he abruptly stopped in his tracks. Ikuta immediately raised his brow. Just as he was about to ask what made Aiba hesitate to take the hand, the long lost dragon turned around and tilted his head, unexpectedly asking for Yoko’s permission. “Can I?”  
  
Yoko was startled as well, but as he had always been with Aiba, he quickly regained his composure. He bit his lip. He had stood in the side all the while, unsure of how to react or how to call Aiba. He thought he had been subdued. Everything was so surreal but he was willing to accept it if it was what Aiba wanted. It never crossed his mind that Aiba would ask for his opinion, so the best response he could give was a grimace. “I only want to see you happy.”  
  
Aiba shook his head. “I want to know who I am, but I don’t want to do it without you.”  
  
Yoko cleared his throat. The three dragons were looking curiously at him, waiting patiently for Yoko’s answer. A warm flush began to creep over Yoko’s cheeks. “Why me?”  
  
“Because you are important to me, Yoko,” Aiba replied, completely unaware that everyone in the room was watching them. His smile was as bright as the sun. “You have never judged my ability to speak to trees. You were the first one who accepted me without even knowing who I am. Before I realized it, you were always there beside me, and there was nothing that hurt me more than seeing you in trouble. You were the one holding me together when I was lost. What would happen to me without you?”  
  
Yoko took a suspicious glance at the three men standing beside Aiba in the middle of the room, forming a circle. “But you have found your family now.”  
  
“That’s not it,” Nino commented helpfully. “We were there before but there was still something missing in Masaki’s heart. If you could help us to control him, we would be more than happy to accept you in our family.” He wrinkled his nose. “I hate the sound of that word, family.”  
  
“But you will bring him back, right? He can still be Aiba, right?” Yoko asked. He started to look scared. "Sakurai could live normally with Okada in the mountain and Matsumoto had a company to run. He couldn’t leave the company just like that and elope to some dragons’ nest, could he?" Yoko was terrified at the thought that he would never see Aiba again.  
  
“Of course.” Sakurai answered, and Yoko breathed. Sakurai’s red eyes were twinkling impishly. “Without all of you, we may never have found him.”  
  
It was the answer Yoko was looking for. He thought carefully for a moment before pulling out something from his pocket, looking at it once then shoving it into Aiba’s hands, forcing him to accept it.  
  
Aiba opened his hands. It was Yoko’s lamp. He lifted up his head, questioning Yoko silently.  
  
“You have never asked me anything though you have the right to. You were the first one who rubbed that damn lamp.”  
  
Ikuta’s jaw dropped. He had always known there was something else between Yoko and Aiba than just a co-workers’ relationship, but Aiba being Yoko’s master was a thought that had never crossed his mind. He looked up at Inocchi who nodded considerately in the corner. Inocchi knew it, but Ikuta didn’t feel alone as he could see that everyone else except for Inocchi was just as surprised as he was. Even Ohkura stared curiously at them from the branch he was sitting on.  
  
Aiba widened his eyes. “Yoko, you could only grant one wish. I don’t want to take it from you.”  
  
Yoko shrugged. “If there was any wish I would like to grant, it’s yours. Don’t you want to remember your past?”  
  
Aiba shook his head. “No, I do not wish for that. All I want is for your happiness.”  
  
“My happiness is your happiness.” Yoko hugged Aiba. His thumb brushed his co-worker’s cheeks lightly. A huge grin was plastered on his face. “Say it.”  
  
“No.” Aiba shook his head persistently.  
  
“Say it. I am more than happy to grant the wish.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Aiba, I know you. You want to know about the truth, don’t you?”  
  
“It’s not that I don’t want to know the truth...” Aiba protested but Yoko cut him, shoving the lamp back to Aiba’s hands. His tone was firm. “Wish for it.”  
  
“Are you sure?”  
  
“Never been surer.”  
  
After those words, Aiba took a deep breath, preparing his heart as rubbed the lamp. He declared the request. “I want to know about my past.”  
  
Yoko purred. “Your wish is granted.” He blew his lamp and it glowed for a few seconds.  
  
When the glow died out, all of them stood awkwardly, waiting for something to happen. At first, nothing happened. Then suddenly, something came out from Aiba’s chest, floating in the air. Ikuta recognized it immediately; it was the violet sphere. All eyes in the room followed it as it drifted calmly in front of Aiba’s face, letting out a small humming sound.  
  
Ikuta could see that Aiba was mesmerized by the violet glow. He touched it with his hands, trying to hold the sphere. Remembering what happened in the past, Ikuta wanted to prevent him but before he was able to do so, before anyone else could react, the sphere exploded with a deafening sound once more and Aiba was thrown back, collapsing into the floor.  
  
“Aiba!”  
  
“Aiba!”  
  
“Masaki!”  
  
“Masaki!”  
  
The room was in a frenzy, what with all the shouting and yelling, everybody calling Aiba both with his old and new name. Yoko was the loudest and the most frantic of them all. Violet smoke was filling the room. Despite of all the chaos, Ikuta fumbled, trying to find a way to Aiba. The smoke hurt his eyes and he was unable to see anything. He accidentally bumped into someone.  
  
“It’s okay, he’s just dreaming.”  
  
Ikuta pinched his eyes, an attempt to see the view in front of him better. The smoke was starting to evaporate and he could see clearer. A short stranger was standing in front of him. The silhouette was familiar somehow.  
  
The stranger turned his head to smile at him and Ikuta’s heart missed a beat. “Who are you?” Even as he blurted out the question, he already knew the answer. This was the man in his dream, the man in the dragon’s dream, the man who truly existed in their past. This was the man who asked Nino to take care of things before he went somewhere to sleep for centuries, oblivious of what happened to the friends he had left behind.  
  
“Leader?” Sakurai was looking at the man with an expression of utter disbelief, confirming Ikuta’s guess.  
  
The man waved. “Hi, Sho.”  
  
  
  
  


**XXV**

  
“Leader?” Nino’s surprised question came next. He stopped searching for Aiba and stood where he was, dumbfounded.  
  
Matsumoto rubbed his eyes as though he thought the man was a part of his hallucination.  
  
Ikuta carefully examined the stranger — well, no, not a stranger— the leader of the dragon. He was short with dark skin and sleepy eyes. His smile was patient and his kind eyes glowed blue, as blue and as clear as the sky. He certainly didn’t appear as what Ikuta expected as the leader of the dragon, but the look shown in his underlings’ eyes clearly proved that he had all their respect.  
  
When he was finally sure that the man truly stood in the room and was not an illusion, Matsumoto moved forward to touch his arm, shaking it lightly, chanting his title as if he could make the man stay longer if he did so. “Leader. Leader.”  
  
“It’s been a while.” The man bowed his head. His voice sounded strange as he struggled to use his tongue. He turned his head to Okada. “Junichi.”  
  
“Satoshi.” Okada saluted him. “How was your sleep?”  
  
He touched his lip. His expression was troubled as if he was trying too hard to remember. “I dreamt. I dreamt of everything that happened. I tried to wake up but I couldn’t, but it appears that the problem had been solved now?” His voice was low, his brows furrowed, making him look even more like a child. He yawned, stretching his arms, and yawned again. “It was a long sleep.”  
  
“Well, thankfully I refused to accept the title, otherwise I will miss a lot of things.” Okada smiled.  
  
“Hmm,” the leader, Satoshi, gave a careful nod. “I wish I had refused the offer too, but not really.” He turned his head and his eyes found Aiba who was still lying on the floor, unconscious. Yoko was holding him. “Ah!” the man let out a quiet gasp, “I almost forgot Masaki.”  
  
He kneeled before Aiba and Yoko stepped back, giving a space for the leader. He held Aiba’s hand, sliding it into his own. With a slight tap, Aiba’s eyes snapped opened. His eyes were changing from violet and golden to black and to violet and golden again. His teeth grew into fangs, his nose transformed into snout, his smooth skin transformed into scales. He gave a low growl.  
  
Ikuta held tightly to the table as the ground started to shake. Everything seemed to happen at once. The small plants in pots Aiba kept in his desk were suddenly getting taller; their leaves turned greener; the flowers bloomed. They ran to the window and saw trees outside moving to the left and right. The dried grass was suddenly alive again, the bushes getting thicker, and Ohkura jumped inside the room as fruits starting to sprout out from the trees, dangling in the branches. They watched in awe as the earth welcomed their master home.  
  
Satoshi gave another gentle tap and the shaking stopped. He called out the earth dragon’s name with a loving tone. “Masaki.”  
  
Aiba’s eyes were black. He shook his head, blinking. His fangs grew back and his skin went back to its smooth appearance. “Leader.” Aiba abruptly sat up. He fell and Yoko caught him, helping him to stay upright. “I remember everything. Everything,” Aiba gasped. “I remember about us. I remember when you went to sleep. I remember how my power was drained out. I remember asking Kazu to help me, and the explosion...” Aiba stopped. He was distressed.  
  
“Isn’t that what you wanted?” The leader tilted his head with a quizzical look on his face. “Do you regret it?”  
  
“No,” Aiba shook his head harshly. “I need to remember.”  
  
“Then it should be fine.” Satoshi smiled at Aiba but his eyes were set on Yoko. “Thank you for waking me up.”  
  
“Ah,” Yoko was taken aback. ‘You’re welcome.”  
  
“Leader,” Aiba spoke again. He blinked with innocent eyes that were clouded with tears. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I was panicking as my power drained out. I shouldn’t have tried to wake you up before the time came. I should learn to control my power instead of trying to ask you to give me more. I’m so sorry that I have failed you so, and Kazu, and Jun, and also Sho. I’m so sorry, everyone.” He bowed his head deeply, looking as desperate as he sounded.  
  
“It’s okay.” Satoshi hugged him tightly. “It’s okay.” When he let him go, he took Yoko’s hand and put it on Aiba’s. It was difficult to say no to the dragon leader’s smile and Aiba found himself speechless.  
  
“You were lost once, but now you have found your anchor, right?” He winked playfully at Yoko and Aiba smiled sheepishly. “Help me to take care of him, will you?”  
  
Yoko was astonished, his mouth was left opened. After a while, he closed it, nodded his head firmly.  
  
Satoshi was satisfied with the response. He stood up and reached for Nino. “Kazu.”  
  
Nino’s eye was red, but there was only joy in it. He rubbed his eye off, smiling. “Leader.”  
  
“Sho.” One of his hands was opened for Sakurai and the other was for Matsumoto. “Jun.”  
  
“Leader,” Matsumoto called him. “We are sorry that we have disappointed you.”  
  
They stumbled forward, accepting the warmth that was offered to them. Satoshi hugged them all, struggling to get them within his arms. “Thank you for taking care of everything in my place. It was a hard task and please know that I didn’t expect it to be perfect.” He was still smiling.  
  
Aiba stood up with Yoko’s help and joined the circle. With their leader in the middle, Ikuta was reminded of the painting Ohkura showed them last night. The dragon was not alone; he repeated the sentence in his mind.  
  
Satoshi took a glance at his back to Okada and Ohkura who was standing close to each other, watching them. His gaze swept Ikuta briefly for a second and Ikuta would swear later that he saw mischief glistening in those sleepy eyes. “I see that you have alll found your anchor as well. I wish I could talk to you more, but for now,” he yawned widely, “I must go back to sleep. The world will lose its balance without me. Wake me up when you truly need me?” His voice was groggy.  
  
“We will do just that.” Matsumoto replied with a smile on his face. “We won’t let any misunderstanding happen again,” he promised his leader and got a smug smile as a reply.  
  
They all stared at Satoshi as he let go of all his friends’ hands and walked dizzily to the sofa, curling himself up on it and slowly went back to sleep. “See you later.” He told them before he yawned again, unable to keep his eyes open. Sakurai rubbed his hair, sitting beside him. “Yes, see you later, Leader. Have a good sleep.”  
  
Satoshi squeezed Sakurai’s hand. A satisfied smile formed on his lips before he started to fade, slowly curling back into the sphere. It floated back to Aiba’s chest. Aiba gasped as he held the warm violent glow, grasping it as he guided it slowly into his heart. He whispered, “Sweet dreams, Leader.”  
  
By the time the leader had disappeared, the rain had stopped, the ground had calmed down, the sun was shining, its bright rays blinding, and everyone was standing clumsily with a smile on each of their faces.  
  
Matsumoto dropped himself on Ikuta’s working chair, dumbstruck after all that happened within a fortnight. Nino approached him and Matsumoto bowed his head down, apologizing for all his inappropriate rage over the years while still managing to scold Nino for hiding the truth. Nino nodded airily while shuffling his cards, suddenly letting them out of nowhere. Ikuta recalled the occasion in the alley where Nino placed several cards in the air, claiming that everything will be revealed soon. Four aces, one for each dragon, with the Joker in the middle. He silently wondered for whom the Joker was meant for, the leader or... Nino winked at him behind Matsumoto’s back and Ikuta chuckled. Perhaps it was better if he never knew the answer.  
  
Sakurai was talking with Aiba and Yoko, apologizing for the fact that he didn’t recognize Aiba when they first met. Aiba introduced Yoko properly to his old friend. It had to feel overwhelming, having his heavy past suddenly inflicted on him. Ikuta noticed that Aiba was still holding Yoko’s lamp in his hands and Yoko’s hand was on Aiba’s shoulder. He grinned. They would be alright.  
  
Okada, Inocchi, and Ohkura were talking in the corner, trying to get to know each other. Okada said something and Inocchi laughed loudly. His ears twitched and his eyes became mere slits. Inocchi seemed to accept the current development easier than any of them, but that was how Inocchi truly was and Ikuta loved that about him. He took a glance at Ohkura. His wings flapped beautifully, refracting the sun’s rays into rainbow colors. Ikuta wished he still had his wings, even though it was not as grand as Ohkura’s.  
  
Okada was smiling generously and Ikuta observed him last. Remembering the conversation between the dragon leader and Okada about refusing a certain title, he pondered what kind of creature Okada actually was.  
  
He averted his gaze from all the creatures in the room and stared at the window. Out of nowhere, he suddenly remembered that he still owed a shirt to Nagase. Chuckling, Ikuta pushed that thought away, hoping that the gnomes would be too busy to welcome their master back to remember about his debt. He wanted to know Kokubun’s reaction too about everything that just happened. The earth was alive again at last and the gnomes would have much work to do. Hopefully they would still open the bar; he could use a few drinks as long as it’s not another gnomes’ secret recipe. They could invite Morita, Miyake, and Sakamoto as well, encouraging the last name to sing. He couldn’t stop smiling, images of naked euphoric gnomes running about in his mind. That would be quite a party indeed.  
  
In the end, they only managed to wake the dragon up for a few minutes, but what they had learnt was more important than that. When he started the case, he had never expected that he would find his past, his master, a new family, a solution to centuries old mystery, and even saving the earth. Looking at everyone’s awkward activity, Ikuta smiled. It was a bizarre situation but he would not exchange it with any other ending. There would be plenty of time to ask questions later. He would just enjoy the moment as it was. After all, things would be alright eventually.  
  
He inhaled deeply. It was time for a new journey. He smiled at Matsumoto, who made a move to walk towards him, a pleased, if tentative, look on his face. Yes, it was the ripe time for new journeys indeed.


End file.
